My business partner & workshop co-host Kim and I announced back a few months ago that we changed the name of our workshop from Create Better Images Photography Workshops to Refocused Photography Workshops. We think the name better illustrates what we do and teach overall. Below you can read more about these workshops, including how to register. But if you hurry over to our Facebook page and “like us” – you’ll find a special coupon code inside that will save you some booku-bucks off the registration cost.

1. The Beginner Workshop is 3-hour interactive, hands-on class where we teach new SLR camera owners how to get the most out of their camera. Over the years we have had so many requests from people who had just bought new cameras with interchangeable lenses how to actually use them, or get the most out of them. So in 2008, Kim and I decided to start a workshop to show people how to take those cameras off the automatic setting and shoot a little more creatively by teaching the fundamentals of photography. Once you understand how light, shutter speed and aperture interrelate, you can pick up any camera with any lens and effectively manipulate the light to capture a look that you may want.

It’s about more than just asking “What button do I put my camera on?” – its about understanding the very core of photography. Other areas we talk about it are what  lenses will produce what types of images (ie, if you want a lot of “background blur” so your subject really stands out and pops), how to find great light in and around your home, creative composition, how to turn off the automatic flash that always pops up if you want images that have more feeling and depth, how to adjust your settings to photograph in manual mode (and how to get to manual mode in the first place). Plus much more. Click here to get all the nitty gritty details and find out how to register!

2. The Intermediate/Advanced Workshop: Now aptly named the One Day Intensive, this workshop is a 9 hour very hands on and interactive learning experience. We have now taught over 100 photographers around the US, many of whom have gone on to become successful and busy photographers. Some had already started businesses and were stuck on certain concepts or styles of shooting, others were just branching out and wanted a roadmap on how to create the best images possible with the best gear possible.

• Several tips for lighting, creative composition, and posing
• How to work with subjects and clients before, during and after the shoot
• How to speed up your digital workflow and post-process more efficiently
• Recipes for successful portrait making
• (NEW) MARKETING (branding, networking, getting published, getting your name out there, setting yourself apart, social media, and more)
• (NEW) THE BUSINESS OF PHOTOGRAPHY (goal setting, effective workflow, post-processing, pricing your products and services for profit, paying taxes, setting up your company more)
• (NEW) ALBUM DESIGN (tips for fast and efficient album design, companies to use, and more)
• How to apply many of these concepts to a LIVE MODEL SHOOT!
• In addition, after the live model shoot, you will have the opportunity to process your images via Adobe Lightroom with Jennifer and Kim and then share them with the class.
• Both will offer hand-on guidance, and share useful tips for working with these programs.
• Lastly, we’ll have open Q&A time!

Click here to read more and register for this awesome workshop!

CASTING CALL!

For our live model shoot, we are looking for an engaged or married couple!

Are you a couple that recently got married but wish you had more fun/urban/trendy magazine style pictures of you? Or maybe you are just a super-cute engaged (or non-engaged) couple and want some new and fun images? Either way, this is your chance to get some free images by serving as models for a photography workshop!

Couples must submit a few low-res images of themselves (close up and full length if you have one – snapshots are fine) as well as the attire they plan to wear for the shoot. We need couples who are very comfortable in front of the camera and affectionate with one another.

The session will last approximately 45-60 minutes and be in Mesa on Saturday, Feb 18th in the late afternoon. We will provide more details on when, where and what to wear once you are confirmed as a model. You just need to be available on that date between the times of approx 4:00-6:15 PM.

To apply as a model, please email 2 low resolution images of you both together to info@refocusedworkshops.com

Shannon & Morgan officially tied the knot two weeks ago at Sassi in North Scottsdale. Sassi is such a great wedding venue here in Arizona because it’s beautiful and unique, with sweeping views, excellent food and an intimate and warm reception space. Shannon and Morgan have been together since they were 15! They met in high school and are such a calm and sweet couple. Their close friends and family helped them celebrate and the day was just beautiful.

The day started with everyone getting ready at the nearby Marriott McDowell Mountain before we headed over to Sassi for the rest of the day.

Kasia took the next two images of Morgan while he got ready

My assistant Nicolle captured this reflection shot below.As Kasia, my second shooter took from this angleBelow: far right image by Nicolle

Sassi’s ceremony grounds are so beautiful

Below: left shot by Kasia

Elegant pink and champagne colored detailsThe ballroom looked so warm and lovelyThis shot just cracks me upAt the end of the night, Shannon’s Mom planned a big secret surprise – even for the bride and groom!

And then after the fireworks send off, they rode away in a horse drawn carriage.

Awesome Vendors who made this wedding beautiful::

Wedding Design & Event Planning: Imoni Events
Venue: Sassi
Florist: Your Event Florist
Fireworks: Fireworks AZ
Carriage: KC’s Carriage
Videography: My Wedding Film
DJ & Ceremony Musicians: Mancini Entertainment
Officiant: Mike Kennedy, Arizona Wedding Ceremonies
Photographer: Jennifer Bowen Photography

Thank you Shannon, Morgan & Erin! It was wonderful to work with you all and capture your wedding day. I wish you a lifetime of joy, laughter and love.

Thank you Kasia & Nicolle :)

Can’t wait for Chelsea & Jon’s wedding this April! These two are awesome and we had a great time at their session awhile back.  (Im so so behind on these posts!) I especially loved it when they broke out their beach cruisers at the park :-)

Associate Photographer Jenny Bishop, along with our newest associate Suzanne Searle, knocked another wedding out of the park this past fall! Angela and Paul held their destination wedding here in Scottsdale, Arizona at the newly redesigned El Chorro. El Chorro is a well known Arizona landmark– and a favorite gathering spot among locals– and it provides couples an intimate wedding experience with exceptional views of another famous Scottsdale landmark, Camelback Mountain. Their beautiful wedding was designed and coordinated by the very talented Amy Mancuso.

Angela and Paul both looked so happy and in love. Here are some favorites from their day:

Associate Photographer Jenny Bishop photographed several beautiful weddings this fall for Jennifer Bowen Photographer, including Brittany & Scot’s at the exclusive Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley, Arizona. Brittany and Scot are from Canada but planned their destination wedding here in Scottsdale where their intimate group of family and friends were able to enjoy the warm fall weather and scenic backdrop that the Sanctuary Resort affords for wedding ceremonies.

Wedding coordination and event design provided by the amazing Jennifer Thye of Imoni Events

Florals: Table Tops Etc

Kiri and Brian’s wedding at the Arizona Biltmore was my last of 2011, and it was such a great one to end my season on. Gorgeous, fun, high energy, lots of laughter, warmth and touching moments best describe their wedding day AND Kiri and Brian as a couple and individuals. They each exude such joy and gratitude, intelligence and humor, and a genuine respect and love for one another that it was abundantly clear that these two were destined to be together. While they currently live (and play) in San Francisco (Brian grew up here) I was so glad they chose Phoenix as they place to marry, as they were an absolutely joy to work with and be around. Here are several of my favorites from their day:

We started the day at the Arizona Biltmore while the bride and groom got ready and had their first look with plenty of portrait time:

I LOVED Kiri’s two piece Monique Lhuillier gown and Jimmy Choo’s

Kiri, you are STUNNING.

Fellow AZ photographer Katina Patriquin agreed to come along and second shoot with me, despite being VERY pregnant, and she got some killer images of the guys and Brian getting ready. (On a side note about Katina, she recently had her baby boy who is seriously one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen.)

LOVE love this one of Brian she took

Brian has such great style. He should be a model for Ralph Lauren.

Croquet anyone? Yes please!

After portrait time, the wedding party headed over to Brophy Chapel on Ollie the Trollie. A very good looking group of men, dont you think?

Because these guys are such a fun group and they were working the Ray Bans, we decided to recreate a cheesy group “prom” picture. Gotta say, they rocked the 1980′s posing standards for group proms :-)

Another one below by Katina that I love. Kiri’s flower girl SO adorable and sweet – and took her role very seriously. I love the tenderness here.

I sent Katina up in the rafters to get the money shot. Sometimes I want to second shoot my own weddings. (Left image below by Katina, right image below by assistant Nicolle Moshiri – another great one.)

After we left the chapel, we headed back over to the Biltmore for the cocktail hour and reception, and a few more portraits.

The gold room looked stunning. White orchids and flowers everywhere. (Florals by Angelic Grove) They had a seriously rocking reception. After the band The Hampton’s left, a DJ took over for the after party.

Thank you to all of the fabulous vendors:

Ceremony Venue: Brophy Chapel
Reception Venue: The Arizona Biltmore
Wedding Coordinator: Victoria Canada Weddings and Events
Photography: Jennifer Bowen Photography
Videography: Simply Cinema
Florals: Angelic Grove
Ceremony and Cocktail Musicians: String Serenade
Band: The Hamptons
Photo Booth
Trolley: Ollie the Trolley by Dunn Transportation
Rolls Royce: Aries Limousine
Hair: Julia Hernandez and Mandy Samford
Makeup: Kayla Kellar and Jovita Campbell
Gown: Monique Lhuillier
Shoes: Jimmy Choo

Brian and Kiri, thanks for being so amazing to work with! You guys ROCK. :-)

Katina & Nicolle, thank you thank you for everything. xoxo

You may remember Lindsay and Brian from their engagement session shoot in New York City last fall. I had an amazing time with these two and have been looking forward to their wedding at Paradise Valley Country Club all year. To say it did not disappoint would be an understatement. While it poured rain the night before (and I mean poured), the morning of their wedding, the skies opened up and it turned into a stunning day. Everything came together seamlessly, thanks in large part to event planning and coordination by Sandy Walker of In Awe Events. But also in part because of Brian and Lindsay themselves and their joyful and easy going personalities and the fact that they both seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves the entire day. These two compliment each other so well, and I loved seeing how thrilled they were to finally marry each other and how happy everyone was to be there celebrating. I started the day with Lindsay and her crew of girls (fun and funny girls) at the DoubleTree Scottsdale Resort, while Omari hung out and photographed Brian and the groomsmen getting ready a few hotel rooms away.

Dress and Shoes #1

Dress and Shoes #2 – for the late night party. Lindsay rocked these sexy red Christian Louboutains and back-zip lace dress

Makeup by Allison Pynn with hair styling by Antoinette DiCarlo

Lindsay looked gorgeous!

Omari Dickens hung with the guys and got some great images

And then we all headed over to the beautiful Paradise Valley Country Club

LOVED their first look and Brian’s reaction

Lindsay’s sister and maid of honor – hanging out right before the ceremony started

The decor, flowers and room looked beautiful and elegant
Party time! Loved Lindsay’s shorter, sexy dress & shoes for dancing

Thank you to all of the vendors who made this such a beautiful wedding:

Venue: Paradise Valley Country Club
Wedding Consultant: Sandy Walker- In Awe Events
Photographer: Jennifer Bowen
Videography: I Do Films

Speaking of, check out this amazing video trailer I Do Films did of their wedding.

Band: The Instant Classics
Makeup & Hair: Allison Pynn and Antoinette DiCarlo
Invitations and Paper Products: Kelsey Murrietta/Flossy Stylish Design
Flowers: Avant Garden
Photobooth: Arizona Photobooth
Officiant: Scott Swanson
Transportation: Motor Coach

And stay tuned, Lindsey and Brian’s amazing November wedding from the Paradise Valley Country Club is coming up next…

Me and my 3 loves at The Polar Express a few weekends ago (image taken by a friend):

Studio Coordinator Kelly Gill and her beautiful family (we’ll share their c-u-t-e family session on the blog soon after holidays):

Associate Photographer Jenny Bishop below and her adorable family (image taken by their family on Thanksgiving Day):

Intern/Newly Hired Assistant Nicolle Rein Moshiri and her equally adorable family (image by family friend):

And last but not least, announcing our newest associate to join the JBP team Suzanne Searle and her beautiful boys :-)

I consider myself very blessed to have such an amazing team and appreciate all that they do!

Jessica and Zac’s wedding on October 29, 2011 was one of the more emotional weddings I’ve photographed. These two are equally as beautiful on the inside as they are the outside; just two incredibly sweet, kind and fun people who make a perfect couple. Their wedding day at Grayhawk Golf Club was pretty much perfection too. Rhonda Rush and team coordinated everything flawlessly and the weather, decor and setting could not have been more idyllic. I think the icing on the cake however, especially for Jessica and her family, was that her brother Scott was released from his military duty for a leave of absence to be a part of her wedding day. Just three days before the wedding, it looked as though he would not be able to come in from Seattle, and then, in the eleventh hour, they agreed to let him off duty to attend. When I walked into the hotel room to start preparation coverage and came around to see Jessica, she told me that he was here, and immediately started crying – which made me majorly tear up in return. I knew how close Jessica is to her brother and how much it meant to her that he was there, so I appreciated that aside from the fact that she was marrying her best friend in a few hours, she was very very thankful to also have her brother by her side.

Once the tears were wiped away, the makeup team of Chanel Warwick got right back to business.

Above: Jessica’s grandmother carried that fan on her wedding day and passed it down to Jessica’s Mom and now her, so Jessica was telling her younger cousin about her and how she too one day could carry that if she wanted.

Kasia second shot with me and hung out with Zac and the guys – and got some great images of them…

Their first look

I loved these ceremony moments when Jessica rested her head on Zac’s shoulder and then when Zac wiped a tear away from Jess below.

Thank you to all of the wonderful vendors who made this wedding so special:

Venue: Grayhawk Golf Club
Wedding Consultant: Impact Events- Rhonda Rush
Photographer: Jennifer Bowen Photography
Videographer: Simply Cinema
DJ: Mancini Entertainment
Florist: Flora Bella
Makeup Artist: Chanel Warwick
Hairdresser: Wish Salon- Taryn Seseman
Wedding Gown Boutique: Lillian Lottie Couture
Cake: Classic Cakes & Confections

Kasia – thank you thank you for always being so great to work with and for all your help

Jessica and Zac – thank you for being YOU. I loved being a part of your day and getting to capture for you. I know we will stay in touch and I can’t wait to meet those babies someday :-) xoxo