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Courtney Carolyn Photography - Detroit & Northern Michigan Weddings

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Michigan Wedding Photography

Michigan Wedding Photographer

Courtney Carolyn Photography - Detroit & Northern Michigan Weddings

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  • »Blog
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Welcome to the Blog

Colorful Fall Engagement Clinton Township, MI: Sam + Brent

September 11, 2014 Courtney Carolyn

There is a time in Michigan, when you feel a slight change in the air, and you find yourself needing a blanket when you curl up for bed. Fall is my favorite time of the year and it has arrived within the last day or two. I love fall because the trees change color, hoodies become acceptable fashion, fireplaces start burning wood, hot apple cider is aplenty, pumpkin flavored evvvvverything is on every menu, and you get to see the world around you completely change and get ready for a new beginning; winter.

Sam and Brent decided in the fall of last year to celebrate their engagement with some portraits that highlight the beautiful season in all it's magnificence. The day was a bit warm to start off with and Sam and Brent spent some time walking around a Clinton Township Metropark under the fall colors and talking about how Brent proposed. It was so sweet to hear about how Brent first asked Sam's father for her hand in marriage before asking her. Sam laughed joyfully at how her dad was able to kept the proposal a secret from her mom, so that way she, along with Sam, would be genuinely surprised by Brent's proposal.

As the clouds started to roll in, and the breeze picked up I walked with Sam and Brent down to the beach. In Michigan beaches are normally crowed with vacationers (known more affectionately in some places as "fudgies"), but as we walked along the sandy beach, all we could hear was the roar from the water and as I watched Sam and Brent cuddle and laugh with one another I could feel the world around them start to change and get ready for a new beginning in their lives; marriage.

Love Always,

Courtney Carolyn

What do you love most about fall? I'd love to hear about your fall adventures in the comments!

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In Engagements Tags Cowboy Boots, Engagement Ring, Fall Colors, Fall Engagement Photography, Fall Outfit, Fall Trees, Michigan Beach in the Fall, Michigan Engagement Photography, Michigan Fall, Plaid Outfit, Lifestyle Portraits, Winter, Fall, September 2014
← Ice Cream and Basketball Engagement Plymouth, MI: Kate + EmmettCollaborating with Other Wedding Day Creatives →

Hey there!

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I'M COURTNEY - Wedding Photographer. Newlywed. Frequent Movie Quoter. Beach Bum. Champion of Harry Potter Trivial Pursuit. Based out of Detroit, MI.

I feel like I have THE BEST job in the entire world, and I don't want to feel like a total stranger on your wedding day so please feel free to have a look around or connect with me!


Top Featured Posts:

Welcome to the Blog
Colorful, Tropical Wedding Shoot in Chicago, IL | Anna + Patrick
Colorful, Tropical Wedding Shoot in Chicago, IL | Anna + Patrick
Rustic, Whimsical Wedding at Vale Royal Barn, Fenton, MI | Emily + Jordan
Rustic, Whimsical Wedding at Vale Royal Barn, Fenton, MI | Emily + Jordan
Natural, Rustic Wedding at The Valley at Frutig Farms| Allie + Jason
Natural, Rustic Wedding at The Valley at Frutig Farms| Allie + Jason
Candid + Romantic Wedding at the Masonic Temple, in Detroit, MI | Emily + Willie
Candid + Romantic Wedding at the Masonic Temple, in Detroit, MI | Emily + Willie
Playful, Blush and Navy Wedding, Detroit Athletic Club | Jordan + Grant
Playful, Blush and Navy Wedding, Detroit Athletic Club | Jordan + Grant
Alternative, Joyful Wedding at the Belle Isle Casino, Detroit, MI | Erin + Dmitri
Alternative, Joyful Wedding at the Belle Isle Casino, Detroit, MI | Erin + Dmitri
Casually Chic + Modern Wedding in Rochester, MI | Allie + Stan
Casually Chic + Modern Wedding in Rochester, MI | Allie + Stan
Fun, Nautical-Inspired Wedding, Port Huron, MI | Hannah + Josh
Fun, Nautical-Inspired Wedding, Port Huron, MI | Hannah + Josh
Candid, Classic Wedding at The H Hotel, Midland, MI | Alyssa + Adam
Candid, Classic Wedding at The H Hotel, Midland, MI | Alyssa + Adam
Timeless Captain's Club Wedding, Grand Blac, MI | Jessica + Sheamus
Timeless Captain's Club Wedding, Grand Blac, MI | Jessica + Sheamus

Blog Categories

WEDDINGS

WEDDINGS

ADVICE and EDUCATION

ADVICE and EDUCATION

PERSONAL

PERSONAL

ENGAGEMENTS

ENGAGEMENTS


 

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Behind the scenes, wedding sneak peeks, and where real life is better than a curated one! @CourtneyCarolynPhotography

Me: “Will you be my Valentine?” ⠀
Scott: *Gives me a quizzical look.*⠀
Also Me: “That was a rhetorical question. You have no choice - we’re married.” ⠀
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Scott started off our morning by making scrambled eggs and potatoes for us and we watched a few episodes of Desert Flippers on Hulu.🌵🍳⠀
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It was a chill Valentine’s Day, but ours always seem to be that way whether we plan it out or totally wing it! We mostly enjoy just being together, but I thought I’d share some of my favorite things; the Valentines Edition!⠀
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🌙 Favorite Romantic Comedy: My Big, Fat Greek Wedding & Moonstruck⠀
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🖤 Favorite Kind of Chocolate: Sea Salt Chocolate Carmel⠀
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👓 Favorite Love Song: “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” by Starship & “Dearest” by Buddy Holly ⠀
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🍷 Celebratory Drink: White Wine⠀
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🧖🏼‍♀️🧖🏻‍♂️ Favorite Splurge Item: Spa Treatments⠀
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💐 Favorite Flower: Yellow Roses or Ranunculus ⠀
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🎁 Favorite Valentine’s Tradition: Sending unexpected gifts to loved ones⠀
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Tell me in the comments one of your holiday favorites from this list! I love getting to know who my followers are and hearing about all the things you love! (Extra bonus points if you use emojis!) 🥰
I can tell you til I’m blue in the face why I believe my business is really something great! But instead (for today, anyway 😉) I’ll use the words of @krislcarr, a CCP Bride, who along with her husband Dave is living in Boston while they complete their residency programs! ⠀
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She recently told me, “When we started looking at photographers, I came across Courtney's website and loved how clean and professional the photos looked and how the colors look so vibrant! But when we met with her and Scott, it sealed the deal. I loved how relaxed and informative the meeting was and how flexible we could be with make our engagement and make her wedding package work for us. The examples of the albums were beautiful and I knew I wanted one for our future home. Even though we had a year and a half to our wedding, Courtney was checking in and made the most awesome timeline for the wedding day. It was helpful to have her input with timing everything and just knowing she'd be on top of things to help me on the wedding day was a relief. Her positive attitude was extremely helpful when we had to stay at a photo location for longer than expected due to our bus breaking down and we made the location work to get the most photos possible! I would highly recommend Courtney and Scott!”⠀
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It’s that kind of encouragement that keeps me going! ⠀
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Wanna know more about how I got such a rave review? Head to my website to read more about me and my approach to photography or DM me with any questions you’ve got on how we can get started on capturing your engagement or wedding day photos! 💌
📸 How I Got the Shot 📸⠀
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I start off every wedding day by giving the bride a big hug before I jump into photographing all her bridal details! I love capturing items like the wedding dress, flowers, rings, and invitations first thing because each piece adds to the visual story of the day including the overall design, colors, and personality of my couple! ⠀
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Shooting these things first helps me get a sense of what to expect and what to look for throughout the wedding day because I know brides carefully curate the items they choose to include.⠀
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Depending on how much time I have, I try to photograph the rings in a couple different compositions and on a couple different backgrounds to give the couple some variety! I normally choose to place the rings on either the invitation or nestled in the bride’s flowers. ⠀
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On this particular wedding day, I focused on capturing the rings on the invitation with a seemingly shallow depth of field so that your eye is instantly drawn to the diamond ring as well as the date! It took me a couple minutes of careful balancing to get all three rings together like this with the engagement ring propped up but I absolutely love the end result! ⠀
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I knew I wanted the date in focus, as well, so if the couple decided to include this photo in their wedding album, this shot could serve two visual storytelling purposes; 1.) showing off their beautiful rings (which are symbolic of their marriage) and 2.) including their wedding date! ⠀
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💍 Technical Info:⠀
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📸 Shot on: Canon 5D Mark iii⠀
🔎 Lens: Canon 100mm Macro⠀
✨Lighting: Natural window light (camera left) with a reflector (camera right)⠀
👁 Aperature: f/5.6⠀
⏳Shutter Speed: 1/250⠀
💡ISO: 1250⠀
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Let me know in the comments if you like reading more technically informative posts like this, and I’d also love to answer any questions you might have about my approach or settings!
I showed this photo to the bride & groom right after I captured it because I loved everything about the composition! The Chicago skyline in the background and the movement in her wedding dress was just beautiful. ⠀
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The bride turned to me and said, “I guess I shouldn’t have had that bean burrito for dinner last night. . .” 😳😂😂😭 I just about died of laughter!! This is why I love my clients! They value their photography whole-heartedly, but they also have the best sense of humor! 💕#StayingUpWind #CourtneyCarolynCouples #ILoveMyJob
Our Valentine’s Day might look less like a fancy steak dinner and more like a carpet picnic with wine and a romantic-comedy since we’ll be on our honeymoon shortly, but I’m so excited for this year’s gifts!!⠀
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Although chocolate truffles and roses are always a fine choice, I think everyone really loves a gift that feels a bit more personal! And what’s more personal than printed photographs?! I’m sharing my meaningful Valentine’s gift ideas below and feel to steal these ideas for yourself! ⠀
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🚨 Spoiler Alert! 🚨⠀
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1.) For your special someone! 💍✨⠀
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Print your favorite photo of you both together - you know the one. Place the print in a pretty frame for their desk or have the image printed on a big, fine-art canvas and hang it in your livingroom or bedroom! Seeing your wedding photos on a daily basis is a great reminder of the vows you made to each other and the love you cherish! ⠀
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2.) For your besties! 👯‍♀️👑⠀
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This year I’ve printed my favorite photo of my girls and I from my wedding day, and I’m gifting it to each of them! We’ve all had the same old high school photos on display for forever, and I know they’ll love having an updated picture of us to hang on the wall. This is a thoughtful way to thank your wedding party and to keep a reminder of your best experiences together! I love providing images like these to my brides for this exact reason! ⠀
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CCP Couples ➡️ Head to your wedding or engagement gallery online and apply the code: HelloValentine to receive 10% OFF your next print or fine-art canvas order!!⠀
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All My Other Followers ➡️ I want you to have archival prints that are professional quality and I whole-heartedly recommend you order from a lab like @artifactuprising vs. a drugstore or 1-hour photo location! ⠀
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Valentine’s Day is only 1-week away so don’t wait to place your orders!
NEW BLOG POST! I love sharing parts of our wedding planning journey & I also just love to document our travels so I decided to share all about My 3-Day Bachelorette Trip to Las Vegas! ⠀
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I've included some of my favorite moments from the trip, how we planned it on top of all the other wedding expenses we had, and I’ve included an outline of our itinerary, full of fun activities, funny moments, and gift ideas, so if you’re ever headed West for a Weekend Getaway in Las Vegas, consider me your guide! . . .⠀
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Read more on the blog now by following the link in my profile! 🖤♦️♣️♥️♠️

Courtney Carolyn Photography

 courtney@courtneycarolynphotography.com

Based in Detroit, MI. Available for travel to Northern Michigan - Chicago - And Beyond


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