McClanahan Studio Blog

Jeni & Craig

alexmac — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:36:08 +0000

Jeni and Craig have a great style that made their wedding at the Botanical Center in Des Moines incredibly unique. For starters, the couple’s attire was classic. Jeni’s dress, hair and jewelry emanated retro charm and the grey suits worn by Craig and his groomsmen were a perfect compliment. Their non-traditional ceremony lasted only a few minutes and revolved mainly around their heart-felt vows. Their reception immediately followed in a back room at the Botanical Center.

Jeni and Craig’s Ring Bearer made for several memorable moments caught on camera (see below). Also, it’s safe to say that Craig has the sweetest beard we’ve ever had the pleasure of photographing! We’re glad we got to be a part of this awesome couple’s day and invite you to enjoy a few of our favorite images from their wedding:

PTVBYD: Tom Thumb

dannymac — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:12:04 +0000

Welcome to our first installment of PTVBYD: Places To Visit Before You Die! In our line of work we do a lot of driving through the middle of nowhere, and a lot of times the stuff you find in the middle of nowhere is fantastically awesome. This past weekend we drove to Okaboji, IA for a wedding and stumbled upon an incredible gem of a place called Tom Thumb Hamburgers in Fort Dodge, IA. Walking into it was like walking into an idealized painting of 1960′s Americana. The employees were genuinely super friendly and the food was old school with a taste and charm that is lost in modern day fast food. We snapped some photos on our Droid to show you the charm of the interior:

The best part? A huge selection of homemade pie! Huge slices at a reasonable price. We decided if we lived in Fort Dodge we’d eat here everyday and become morbidly obese. Like eating grandma’s home cooking whenever you feel like it.

It’s hard to describe flavor through a terrible cell-phone photo, but our food had a taste above and beyond that of a normal hamburger. It’s like our burgers were laced with liquid love. Here’s a look at our food:

And the Best Part (I know I already said the best part is the pie, but I think this trumps it)?!?! $0.25 mustache machine! We only had one quarter and our mustache came out blonde, but was surprisingly high quality considering the price:

It would be worth driving to Fort Dodge with a sack full of quarters just to clean out this machine and have disguises for every occasion. If your travels ever take you down Highway 20, save a little extra time to make a stop at this place. It will be more than worth it. With utmost sincerity, we give Tom Thumb a “Thumbs Up”:

Basil

dannymac — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:13:27 +0000

Josie & Tyler

alexmac — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 21:39:53 +0000

We knew it was going to be a great day when upon making our first portrait suggestion, elevating Josie and her bridesmaids into dusty wall-squares, everybody’s eyes lit up and they immediately started hoisting each other into place. This wedding party was potentially the most fun wedding party ever (as you can see below), maybe even in the history of the world! Tyler had the brilliant idea of playing dodgeball in the park, so of course we obliged. Despite scorching heat and otherwise unpleasant conditions, everybody was determined to make the most of the day and it made our job as image-makers a true joy.

Josie & Tyler’s wedding was in Rock Island, IL at Broadway Presbyterian Church with reception immediately following at the Moline Club. It was apparent that the couple brings out the best in one another (a trait noted many times by friends and family throughout the day). It was also apparent that the specialness of their wedding was founded first and foremost on their deep-seeded mutual faith, which gave their wedding a supernatural level of intimacy. We have no doubts that their marriage will be great and we’re thankful for the time we got to spend with them on their wedding day!

Go{4}Pro Photography Interview

dannymac — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:11:57 +0000

We were recently interviewed by Leah from Go{4}Pro about our business, marriage, and other fun stuff. You can check it out here. Her blog is a fantastic resource for photographers looking for tips and inspiration, so make sure you add it to your RSS feed if you’re a shooter.

Patty

dannymac — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 18:08:45 +0000

Clarke University Culture Book

dannymac — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 00:12:53 +0000

A few months ago I got to photograph an Incredibly Rad commercial project for Clarke University. The concept was the brainchild of the gentlemen at Sean Murphy Design (who handled the design and art direction). The copy writing was done by Rob Lombardi, a very talented former classmate of mine – we worked together on the Computer Head project in college. Also mad props to Trisha, Jamie and Mike from Clarke for all the help and for being such cool people (and for the coffee).

Our photoshoot took place over 2 days in Dubuque, IA, with 5 shots each day. Each shot took a couple hours to set up and shoot. A giant rusty fan, cooking oil and a slew of small children are just a few of the props that were implemented to pull-off each image concept. Each shot tells the story of a current Clarke student – the positive impact their Clarke experience has had on them and the difference they’re making in the world. Our goal was to create a piece that stood out against the trend of boring sameness currently saturating the majority of university promo pieces. I think we nailed it. Imagine the following layouts printed HUGE and sent to prospective students: the Clarke Culture Book. It kind of makes me want to be a high school senior just so I can go to Clarke and hang with all these cool cats again.

Side Note: Make sure you check out Rob Shots on our facebook page for a very hilarious behind the scenes series of Rob standing in for every shot as a test-dummy

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Lastly, here are a couple set-up shots I found to show all you photo geeks the teamwork and details that went into these shots:

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Elle & Adam

alexmac — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 02:56:42 +0000

Elle and Adam’s wedding was a truly romantic occasion. Having spent much of their engagement apart (Adam was in the service), there was a lot of emotional buildup from both the couple and their families. The design of the wedding was modern and dramatically romantic in black and white with red accents. The couple’s vibe was contagious and magic happened when Elle and Adam looked into one anothers eyes. Their sunset ceremony unfolded beautifully at the Des Moines Rose Garden in Greenwood Park (Des Moines, IA) with reception following at the Embassy Suites on the River.

Elle is sassy and her strong sense of style was apparent in everything from the programs to the reception centerpieces. She even had her dress custom designed. Many of our favorite images from the day (below) emphasize her & Adam’s style and a few of the details from the day. Enjoy!

Maddie

dannymac — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 04:12:30 +0000

Nathan

dannymac — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:21:43 +0000