WE WON!

Here are a handful of my favorite images from my beautiful gay/lesbian/queer couples:

 I'm queer myself, I'm happy to work with your budget, and I'd love to photograph and share with you your laughter, tears, love, and triumph.

Please come to my show reception: Thurs April 19th!

I was invited to exhibit my work at the College Ave offices of McGuire Real Estate in Oakland. The opening reception is scheduled for April 19th, and I would love it if my friends, clients, and colleagues would stop by! The work exhibited is a collection of fine art and documentary photography from the last 5 years.

Although I've been in a number of group shows, this is my first solo exhibition since art school! It would mean a lot to me to see you guys there.

Details below:


McGuire Real Estates Invites you to an evening of art, wine and food.

Reception - Artist in Attendance
April 19, 2012 from 5-8 p.m.
5327 College Avenue, Oakland

Lauren Cohn-Frankel is an international award winning wedding, lifestyle, and fine art photographer whose images have appeared most recently in Curve Magazine, the HBO Family documentary series, and the acclaimed feature documentary Fish Out of Water, directed by Ky Dickens. She began her love affair with the camera at age 14 and spent the majority of her high school years wandering the streets of New York City with camera in hand, eventually focusing on documenting NY's underground music scene, before graduating and moving to the Bay Area to pursue a fine arts degree. She received her BFA from California College of the Arts in 2004, and opened her own studio, Cohn Frankel Photography, in the year following graduation. She has been named one of the Top 100 wedding photojournalists in the world by WPJA, and has been a leader and teacher in the local photography community for 7 years.

In addition to her wedding and portrait work Lauren has recently rediscovered her roots in fine art and documentary photography, focusing on the intersection of sexuality, identity, and politics. Her ongoing project Chirophilia has been exhibited at The Warehouse Gallery in Oakland and featured on Sugarbutch Chronicles, and her work on the Occupy movement is currently under consideration by Lambda Literary for a feature article later this year.


Please RSVP for yourself and guests by April 13th
510-883-7000 or rsvp@mcguire.com

mini sessions!

Hi Everyone! Just wanted to send a quick note to let you know I'm going to be offering mini-portrait sessions throughout the summer this year! This is a great way to get professional portraits done for significantly less than the cost of a full session.



What is it?
Mini-Sessions are short and sweet 30 minute sessions that take place in a variety of awesome pre-selected outdoor locations in the Bay Area. They’re designed to capture a few great images of your child or family as an alternative to a longer, more-personalized Full Session. Within two weeks after your session, you’ll receive a link to a private online gallery where you can view your finished images (typically 15-20 final images).



These are perfect for those fleeting special moments in time that need to be captured quickly:

Maternity portraits
Baby's First Year
Children's milestones (birthday's, graduations)
Mommy and Me
Families
Couples
Senior Portraits
Pets


How much?
Sessions are $99 each and last 30 mins long.


When?
Check your email, or contact me, for available dates and times.




What do you get?

The mini session is an all-in-one package priced at $99 (plus tax). Included in the price is your 30 minute session, online image viewing on Pictage, and one 8x10 print OR one high resolution file of your favorite image. There is no additional session fee and no minimum order. A disk of all the high-resolution digital negatives is available for purchase as an add-on, or individual files can also be purchased.


Details, details...

All sessions are by appointment only. Full payment is required at the time of booking to hold your slot. The session fee is non-refundable, however you can transfer your session to a new date if it's cancelled no later than 48 hours before your session time.

Please email me for more information or to reserve your session time today!

Featured on Offbeat Bride!

I've admired Offbeat Bride and it's founder, Ariel Meadow Stallings, for quite some time--the weddings and couples on that site are always so unique and awesome, and in many ways they represent the core of what weddings are about for me--substance and individuality. So I was super excited to hear that I got accepted to be featured on the site!

In addition to talking about me and showing some of my favorite pictures from Lydia and Mike, Nicole and Steve, and Karen and David's offbeat weddings, OBB also talked about my one-of-a-kind Couture Book albums. This is exactly the audience I had in mind when I created them.

I can't wait to meet all the cool clients who will find me through this resource. If you're looking for some inspiration on how to make your wedding your own, check out offbeat bride!

See the whole feature here.

Winner: Bride's Choice Award for 2010

WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, just announced Cohn Frankel Photography has been selected to receive the WeddingWire 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards™ for Photography!

The annual Bride’s Choice Awards recognizes and celebrates excellence in quality and service within the wedding industry, as determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 500,000 newlyweds.

The award signifies that Cohn Frankel Photography is among the top five percent of all vendors in the WeddingWire community, which includes over 100,000 wedding professionals across the US and Canada. Awards were given to winners across 19 different service categories, including wedding planners, venues, djs, and of course photographers.

“We are excited to recognize and honor the success of the top wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “The annual Bride’s Choice Awards program has given us the unique opportunity to highlight the best wedding professionals in each region as reviewed by brides and grooms who have utilized their services in the past year.”

I would like to thank all my clients for nominating me for the 2010 Bride’s Choice Awards. I'm so happy to get this award for the 2nd year in a row!
For more info about this award and website, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront here.

WPJA winning image from Lisa and Keith's wedding

This contest was a little different, in that it was open to BW images only. My image won 6th place in the "Kids being Kids" category:

JUDGES COMMENTS: Fun lively photo that is really in the spirit of the category title "kids being kids"! A really photojournalistic image. Great moment captured within a perfect composition.

Link to winning image

Fish Out of Water: a film by Ky Dickens

Fish Out of Water is a documentary by Ky Dickens that looks at the impact of homosexuality and religion on America...exploring the seven most notorious Bible passages on the subject with the help of theologians from across the religious spectrum. Presented as a mix of insightful interviews, endearing animation, and witty illustrations, Fish out of Water takes the subject (but not itself) seriously.

Golden-Globe nominated Kaki King, whose music has been featured in films like Into the Wild and Twilight, created the original score for this genre-bending work.

This is a really important film and, while I was contacted months ago about contributing images to it, nothing prepared me for the excitement of actually seeing my pictures in the trailer--I think I scared the dogs yelling so loud when I played it. I think there are at least 2-3 of my gay wedding images in there, and possibly more in the full feature. It's premiering at Outfest in LA on July 18th, I wont be able to be there but if any of you live in LA you should go, you can buy tix on the website.

Here's the website with the trailer: www.fishoutofwaterfilm.com

And here is a fascinating Chicago Reader article about filmmaker Ky Dickens, why she made this film, and what she hopes to do with it, here.

Lydia and Mike Featured on San Francisco Style Unveiled!

Style Unveiled's new San Francisco-specific resource site is a fresh, bright, and upscale alternative to other wedding planning sites. Their mission is to connect brides with the "hottest fashion, innovative ideas, and most elite vendors...to help you create a day as unique as you are". They contacted me in December to ask me if they could feature Lydia and Mike's wedding in their Real Weddings section, as one of only 8 photographers from around the state who would be featured.

Well, the feature just came out this week and Here it is. Good timing too, cuz the couple just picked up their finished Couture book wedding album.

The site interviewed Lydia and Mike about every aspect of their wedding. I love what they had to say about me:


Aww you guys...{blush}.

I'm kind of a big deal around here: SF Chronicle's Best of the Bay Contest, award winning images, and other silver linings

It's been an incredible summer to be a wedding photographer. Yes, it's true that overall consumer confidence is down, even when it comes to wedding spending (the so-called "recession proof" industry), and I know a lot of people, including photographers, who are struggling.

At the same time, so many amazing things are happening, I cannot help but be affected by them. So while like every other small business owner I have felt the strain of the declining economy, I have also seen more than one silver lining on this cloud, and I cannot help but feel hopeful about the future. It's funny when you've been working for something so long and then all of a sudden the day comes when everything seems to fall into place. So in order to keep things in perspective, I made a list.

Cool stuff that's happened this summer:

1. Nominated for SF Chronicle's Best of the Bay!




The Baylist Best contest allows SF Bay area citizens to choose their favorite local businesses by voting for them. This is just amazing--it's awesome just to be nominated. I'm up against some very heavy competition, photographers who have been in the limelight a lot longer than I have, as well as some of my incredibly talented friends like Lisa and James Sanders, Lilia Ahner, Tara Arrowood, and others. But I think I've got a fighting chance as long as everyone I know puts in their vote!

I also just had a look for the first time at the reviews people have left with their votes, and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy to read all the wonderful things people wrote about me! Here are a couple of examples:

"Lauren is able to integrate beautifully the technical aspects of photography with the heart and soul of her clients. She is a very gifted and passionate professional artist."

and

"Lauren a phenomenal photographer who never stops honing her craft so she can deliver the best service possible to her clients. Beside being a very talented artist, she's an amazing person who cares deeply about her clients and the meaninfulness of their weddings."

I've got nine 5 star reviews on there already. Thank you so much you guys! If you haven't done so already, you can vote for me for best wedding photographer by going here.

2. My wedding pictures are in demand: images from Wedding Wednesdays get published in newspapers and broadcast on the 11 o'clock news, a KRON 4 primetime special on gay marriage, and HBO Family!



Ok, here's the backstory: The last time I was on TV, I was 8 years old. My class was interviewed by 20/20 on the subject of "gross toys" (Madballs, Garbage Pail Kids, and the like). John Stossel asked me if my mom knowingly bought these things for me, and I in all my adorable little smartass glory replied, "She buys them, she just doesn't know what she's getting into."

Let's say it all together now; "Awwww..."

So as you might imagine, getting TV attention as an adult is something entirely different. I have been inspired by these incredible weddings and the rich, varied, yet shared experiences of each couple. I am lucky to be the one to tell their stories, and thrilled at the opportunity to bring my work to a wider audience. It would be exciting to carry this work outside of the context of weddings, perhaps as a gallery show or something else having to do with the fine art world.

3. Certified by Here Comes the Guide!



Here Comes the Guide is a prestigious wedding resource that represents only the best wedding vendors in California. In order to become a part of it, you have to go through a screening process, in which they interview 30-40 references about your business, including established wedding vendors, and at least 10 actual wedding couples who have hired you. If these people don't absolutely RAVE about you, you don't get in.

I originally heard about HCTG early in my second year of business and wanted to get on board, but when I got to the part about the screening process I stopped--I couldn't even think of 15, much less 4o, wedding references I had worked with at that point. So I put it aside until a few months ago, when I looked at their site again and realized that now approaching my 5th year in business I had more than enough references and happy brides I could send them. This is actually one of the major benefits to the brides who use HCTG to find vendors: the screening process weeds out the fly by night or newbie businesses, as well as those who have a less than ideal reputation.

Unlike most other wedding resources, the text part of your listing on herecomestheguide.com is written by the staff at HCTG, made up of all the nice things your references said about you during the interview process. It's great if you are a bride, because you know that what's written about the business is not self promotional hype. I'm really excited to see what my references said about me.

4. Published in Today's Bride magazine!



I knew when I shot Tammy and Jamey's wedding last fall it was special, which is why I have a lot of images from that wedding in my sample albums and on my walls. As beautiful as the decor was, I also knew it would probably make it into at least one bridal mag. I am happy to say I was right! Two images from their wedding at the Ferry Building made it into the Idea Gallery section in the latest issue of Today's Bride. TB is a nice little publication, handbook sized, with lots of information and ideas for engaged couples. Unlike many other wedding mags there is a LOT of great photography in there and the vast majority of it is from actual weddings (as opposed to editorial photo shoots with models). TB targets an upscale but individualist, somewhat offbeat modern bride population, which makes it a great fit for my work.

5. My image of Ted and Brian wins an award from the WPJA!



This image won 5th place out of hundreds of entries in the "Emotion" category of the WPJA's Q2 wedding photojournalism contest. You can see the placement on their site here and a list of the judges and their qualifications here. Here are some of their comments on my winning image:

"From the distance and lens selection, the photographer has let us see this couple in their own world in the middle of a very big day in their lives. It’s a great picture of a couple paying complete and compassionate attention to the other."

All of the WPJA contests are judged by critically acclaimed working photojournalists and news photographers at the top of their field. Having judges like these insures that the winning images maintain a high standard of journalistic integrity and storytelling, and are of sufficient quality to stand on their own, outside the context of weddings. This is my third WPJA winning image this year.

Gay Wedding Photography Giveaway

Update post-election:

Sadly, in an unprecedented move based on bigotry and small mindedness, Prop 8 was passed this week and therefore (for the time being) gay marriage is no longer legal. I just want to let all my LGBTIQ clients from this past year know how sorry I am that we lost. I will cherish the images I have from your weddings and the memories of them, and I have every confidence that this is not the last CA or America will hear from us on this topic. Lawsuits are being filed, and as of this writing Gavin Newsom has pledged to keep issuing licenses until he is sued (Go Gavin!).

For my part, the past 48 hours have been such a mix of bitter and sweet, of sadness and hope. Even though we lost this initiative, progress is still being made and we are still moving forward.I will keep this post and link open for any gay couples getting married in defiance of the proposition, or those having commitment ceremonies or other partnership ceremonies who need a photographer in the future. I look forward to having the chance to stand with you and support you. Here's hoping that the time between now, and the day when all of us have the right to marry who we love again, is short.

Love,
Lauren

"Let us realize the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." MLK Jr.

same sex wedding images:

Click here to see the slideshow from Days 1 and 2 of Wedding Wednesdays, an event which was organized by the East Bay Express, in which 6 different gay couples were married over two days.
Click here to see Maryellen and Diana's City Hall elopement wedding'

~or~

View my portfolio and read more about my wedding and lifestyle photography on my main website here

for posterity purposes, my old post text is below:

CONTEST INFORMATION

The background:
For the first time in my 30 years on this planet, I am beginning to feel like the good guys are winning. The legalization of gay marriage in CA is awesome, and with NYC following close behind in recognizing out of state unions...I feel giddy just thinking about it. They are predicting something like 30,000 gay marriages taking place in this first year alone-- I can't wait to meet all the GLBTQ couples who will be my clients in the next year, to hear their love stories, and to document their marriages.

So it is in celebration of this thrilling victory, and to show my gratitude toward all the couples who fought for it (especially my previous civil union couples who got married before they could even legally call it that), that I announce my first official contest! Entries will be taken via email (see below), and one lucky winning couple will win my complimentary services for a full day's coverage of their fabulous wedding.

The basics:
~ NEW extended Deadline:
December 31st, 2008

~ Requirements:
Wedding date between January 1 2009 and April 30 2009 (subject to Lauren's availability).

~ How to Enter:
send an email containing the details of your wedding plans, your unique love story, and why you feel you deserve to win to MY EMAIL ADDRESS (lauren@cohnfrankelphotography.com). Wedding plans should include such things as the location(s), guests, decor, approximate timeline or duration of events, and details on why you are doing what you are doing and what it means to you. Please don't forget to include your names, date, and a way to contact you!
At least one photo of both partners is required for entry, but feel free to submit as many photos/videos as you like to show me who you are and why your wedding is special!

~ the Winners:
Blog readers will vote for one winner from among three finalists. Check the blog after Jan 1st to see who the finalists are and vote for your favorite!

~ the Prize:
Full Day Wedding coverage by Lauren Cohn-Frankel (up to 8 hours). All images at high resolution on DVD. Plus all the usual goodies that come with all my weddings (engagement session, event cards, images posted online, etc).
Travel within the greater San Francisco Bay area is also included, entrants with weddings outside this area are welcome but they should be prepared to cover travel costs for Lauren and her assistant.

~ Where do we send our entry again?
CLICK HERE TO EMAIL ME

The fine print:
No purchase necessary. Entry open to engaged couples planning a wedding which will take place between Jan 1 2009 and April 31 2009, subject to Cohn Frankel Photography's availability. Entrants whose wedding date falls on a date for which CFP is otherwise booked, as of entry closing date, will not be eligible. Current or former clients of Cohn Frankel Photography are not eligible for entry. Prizes are non-transferrable and not redeemable for cash or trade--failure to claim prize(s) within the time period specified will result in forfeiture. CFP reserves the right to substitute equivalent services and/or products in the case of illness or other circumstance beyond our control.
Cohn Frankel Photography (CFP) does not discriminate in any way on the basis of gender, sexual orientation, or any other protected status, so technically this contest is open to all engaged couples regardless of identification....however, please note that the winning couple's names, stories, and photos will be used by Cohn Frankel Photography to promote wedding photography services for same sex weddings and to advertise in local and national same sex wedding resources and to same sex wedding clients. By entering the contest, both partners hereby agree to allow the unrestricted use of their likeness, story, and images for this specific purpose, and/or for any other promotional or other purposes deemed necessary by CFP or its assigns, including editorial or promotional use by other companies, and agree to sign a release specifying same. The winning couple must also agree to the terms of my standard wedding photography contract, which can be emailed upon request.

Gay Wedding Wednesdays

I'd like to announce a really incredible event that I'll be photographing in a couple of weeks. In honor of the recent CA supreme court ruling legalizing same sex marriage, the East Bay Express is putting on an event called Wedding Wednesdays, in which they are throwing a wedding for 6 separate gay couples on two seperate Wednesdays this summer. The Express is covering the costs of the wedding and reception at Periscope Cellars in Emeryville, and sending all the couples on a honeymoon at the beautiful Stevenswood Spa and Resort in Mendocino.

The ceremonies will take place on June 25 and July 2, with 3 couples being married each day. Right after photographing the ceremony I will take each couple for a post-wedding portrait session, followed by the reception. Pictures from the shoot will be published in two issues of the Express newspaper and on their website, and hopefully be picked up by some other papers and/or online resources as well.

This is a very exciting time for many reasons, both for humanity in general and the wedding business in particular. The biggest thing is, of course, the ruling itself; what it means for this country and the future of equal rights. I am usually pretty pessimistic about this kind of thing, with little expectation of seeing the good guys win or experiencing the changes I wish for during my lifetime...but the result in CA (as well as similar news in New York and elsewhere) gives me hope.

Then there is the fact that an estimated 30,000 gay couples will be married in CA during this first year alone. I can't wait! The gay weddings I've shot in the past have been so much fun; the atmosphere of pure joy there is really something to experience. It is as much about family and personal celebration as it is about universal humanity and triumph at the end of a long, hard road.

In honor of the ruling and my desire to do more of these weddings, I am planning something special; both to celebrate the victory of the ruling and to honor the couples who have been waiting for it for so long. Stay tuned for more on that in the next week or two!

For now, the Express still has some space open for couples for their event, so if you know any gay couples who might want to participate, pass it on. You can read more about it and find the link to contact them here.

*picture above is of Robyn and LG, right after their first dance, from one of my very first gay weddings.

Couture Accessories for any bride

I have developed kind of a thing for designer shoes, especially heels. For all stylish bridal accessories, really. I just love a good shoe or dress or jewelry shot. These items are the first thing I look for when I enter the bridal room and the first thing I usually photograph, when nothing is really happening yet and I have the time to walk them around a bit and look for new and creative ways to shoot them.

And, while getting married can be a great excuse to buy some amazing accessories, not everyone can afford to devote thousands to their purchase. But now, thanks to a website called Bag Borrow or Steal, even brides on a budget can afford couture!

The website offers you the opportunity to "borrow" (aka lease) 100% authentic designer bags, purses, and other accessories on a weekly or monthly basis, for a fraction of what the items cost to own. They have things from famous designers like Chanel, Gucci, and Hermes, and even have a whole bridal section devoted to wedding-specific items.

Here is just a taste of what I found in my first few minutes on the site:

Vera Wang Double Diamond Earrings $128.00/week or $375.00/month


Rosiblu Pave cuff bracelt (13.97 carats!) $265.00/week or $795.00/month


Leiber 'Slender Curve" evening handbag $51.00/week or $150.00/month


Don't miss the vintage collection. Hermes midnight blue vintage Birkin bag; $816.00/week or $2,400.00/month


I happen to have picked some of the more costly items on there, but there are plenty of beautiful bags and jewelry pieces to be had for $50-$150 per week. So go there now, and borrow something fabulous for me to photograph on your wedding day! :)

Thanks to my friend Angela Anderson for tipping me off to this resource!
(all jewelry and bag pictures (c) bagborroworsteal.com)

WPJA Top 100 Wedding Photojournalists in the World Announced

Last week, the WPJA announced their list of the Top 100 wedding PJs in the world for 2007...and to my great surprise and elation I found out I am on it! :)

The list is based on each photographer's winning images from the previous year; you can read more about the WPJA's conditions for membership and their challenging contest requirements in my post about my latest win from a few months ago. Given that their membership extends well into the thousands, I probably don't need to say what an accomplishment and an honor this is... And it becomes even more so when you factor in rankings by state or city.

For example, the 93rd-ranked WPJA member is actually #1 in Florida. The 96th-ranked is #1 in Singapore. And so on. And even the lowest ranked photographer for any given state or city is still well above the hundreds or thousands of other photographers in that area who didn't make the list in the first place.

As for California, I happen to be in the top ten. :)

Here's the list

Flourish, Pt 1

So I'm finally ready to talk about Flourish, the amazingly fun and incredible workshop I went to in January in Louisville, KY. Flourish is run by three photographers who I really look up to: Angela Anderson, Kitty Maer, and Kim Reed. The workshop was basically their opportunity to tell us everything they have done that has worked for their businesses...and also what hasn't worked. All three women have very unique styles and approaches to wedding photography, and bring vastly different levels of experience to the table, so I figured that somewhere between the three of them I was sure to find ideas that I could apply to myself and my business...and I wasn't dissappointed.

Day 1 and Day 3 were classroom days, in which we spent most of our time listening to presentations and asking questions. Day 1 focused on business basics, starting with a worksheet Kim, Kitty, and Angela created to help each of us determine our costs of doing business and basic living expenses in relation to our package pricing. It may sound elementary, but a lot of photographers jump into doing business without any sense of a financial plan, budgeting, or any idea of the real costs of doing business. Professional Photographers of America (PPA) recently completed a benchmark financial survey of wedding and portrait studios, the first of its kind, in which they determined that the average home studio has to take in over $100,000 a year just to break even. If the studio operates out of a storefront, that number jumps to $250,000. And in reality, between the costs of equipment, computer hardware and software, and storage/uploading/editing tools, photographers as a whole end up spending way more now to run a digital photography business than we ever did with film.

Anyway, the worksheet basically confirmed for me what I already knew, which is that I have to take in slightly more than $3500 per wedding avg. in order to pay my expenses and break even. I so wish I had done something like this seminar 4 years ago! I really envied the one or two attendees who were just starting their businesses...that first year of doing really well in bookings, yet still being broke at the end of the year, was a hard lesson to learn. I think that budgeting is one of those things that, the longer you put it off, the more scary it seems and so you put it off even longer. I'm so glad to be past that point now.

After the budgeting discussion we talked about other key aspects of business, such as marketing, customer service, and contracts. I left for the hotel that night buzzing with ideas and with really warm feelings about how friendly, generous, and supportive both workshop leaders and attendees were turning out to be.

In addition to learning, Flourish was also about treating yourself for all the hard work you put into your business. I viewed it as part education, part vacation (of course only a workaholic like myself would go to a workshop for "vacation!:P) The workshop fee included accommodations at 21C Museum Hotel in Louisville, which is part modernist four star hotel and part art museum. The lobby is divided into gallery spaces and artists rotate throughout the year so there is always fresh work up, and each room comes with your own Ipod preloaded with your favorite genre of music. Here's a shot of my room:



The workshop fee also included 3 gourmet meals and 2 snacks per day, and quite a bit of champagne. Unfortunately at first I couldn't enjoy any of it, due to my coming down with a raging stomach flu. By the night before I left for KY I knew I was sick; on my way there, I slept most of the flight, but I think being on the plane itself weakened my immune system as my symptoms peaked during the initial night there. I left dinner early, and spent most of the evening staring at the inside walls of the hotel bathroom...

By the end of the first full day of the workshop, I was feeling MUCH better, and was so excited about everything I was learning that I couldn't get to sleep right away. Plus I was ravenous from having eaten so little for the past 36 hours, and room service was closed, so I was "forced" to raid the mini bar. This particular mini bar has sensors in it, so if you remove anything for more than 10 seconds you automatically get charged for it.



Alas, Brian was back home in CA, so I wouldn't be using the $10 21C branded "intimacy kit".

Okay, now picture how fast I had to set up this shot so I could get the kit out and back in place behind the pretzel can within 10 seconds. :)

The little bottles of alcohol were cute, but I instead decided to go with something a little more familiar for late night snackage...


Of course all that sugar led to this shot: : )


It took about 20 tries to get the bed jumping shot right. Which then led to this:

...which was what I was trying to accomplish anyway.

I haven't taken a self portrait in a looooong time...but I did a lot of them in art school. Quite a few of which involved the bathroom mirror in various houses I lived in during my 20s.

I think I look kinda cute here. Note the strategic upward head tilt, to minimize double chin-osity. That's why they pay me the biiig bucks. :P


Day 2 was a shooting day. We had guided shooting opportunities with 2 couples for an Engagement session, and models for a bridal session and "lights out" session. Lights Out is the term Kitty and Angela use to refer to their avant garde-style boudoir work...Anne Ruthmann calls hers "Film Noir Boudoir". I like that a LOT, but she was smart enough to trademark it. So I'll have to think of something else to call mine. :)

Below are a few behind the scenes shots from Day 2. For the actual results of the demo sessions, you'll have to wait until the next post!

this is Kim Reed rockin the engagement session demo at Flourish


Here is a candid photo of me on day 2, taken by Indiana photographerAnne Ruthmann (whose work I also love and am inspired by; having her there was a huge bonus)
shot by Anne Ruthmann, and here is Anne's Flickr.

Ritz Carlton Modern Bridal Show

On Sunday Jan 6th, I participated in the Modern Bridal show at the Ritz Carlton San Francisco...and had a fabulous time! A lot of thought and effort went into my booth, and I was really happy with the amount of attention it got from both exhibitors and brides. The show admission included champagne and lots of yummy cake and food to sample...although I really didn't have time to eat any of it myself as we were about 6-8 people deep for most of the show. However I had a chance to talk to about 80 couples in depth, which I really enjoyed; it was fun hearing so many varied stories and wedding plans and I enjoyed hearing all the nice things people had to say about my work.

My booth was about 3-4 months in the planning; I had the two back walls made custom for me by my carpenter Aaron, who also set up and broke down the booth for me and that alone proved to be more than worth what I spent to hire him...I definitely couldn't have done it without him. The walls were made from 4x8' wood boards, painted chocolate brown, with crown molding painted blue along the top and bottom. They were held up by wood braces in the shape of a sideways "A".

Large prints were purchased from my pro lab, mounted on styrene board and mounted on the wall using velcro (so they could be easily removed). Florist Laurel Winzler, who worked with me on Tammy and Jamey's wedding at the Ferry Building last October, did my flowers: she did an incredible job even though she came down with the flu the week before the show! Laurel really came through for me, and her flowers were beautiful. And fellow photographer/part time second shooter Nick Lostracco made himself available at the last minute to assist me with set up and talking to brides at the show, after the girl who I originally planned to hire had to cancel due to the storm.

Probably the most talked about part of my booth were the little goodie bags I made up to give all the brides, which contained a mini-album, a few prints, a brochure, a personalized letter, and a few gifts to thank them for taking the time to come out and see me. Brides went crazy over the cute, tiny mini albums, as well as the other gift in the bag including homemade caramels, handmade mocha candles and blueberry lip gloss, and chocolate scented soap. I picked all the gift items so they would go with my branding and colors (chocolate and blue), and I found all of them from a wonderful site called Etsy.com.

I was first turned onto Etsy by another photographer. Etsy is basically a community of artisan businesses, whose products are all handmade and most of whom use all natural, earth-friendly, and/or upcycled materials for some or all of their creations. It's a great place to find things like handmade stationery, exquisite bath and beauty products, and all kinds of yummy food and gifts. Plus you can feel good about buying from them, as the people who advertise on etsy are almost always small, highly ethical businesses.

In addition to talking to brides, I also collected names at the show for a Free Engagement Session drawing I held earlier this week. I'm happy to announce that the drawing has been made and we do have a winner... now I'm just waiting to hear back from her to make sure she is able to accept the prize. I'll post her name and pictures from the E session soon!

For everyone else who entered, thank you SO much for your interest in my work. It was wonderful meeting you on Sunday, and I am so looking forward to your weddings! I encourage everyone whose wedding date is this year to contact me ASAP, so we can take the next step and make sure to secure my availability for your date!

Finally, although I wasn't able to get my sample in time for the show, I am very excited to be rolling out my new Couture Book wedding albums in the next couple week for this year's wedding clients. I should be receiving my sample book any day now, and as soon as I do I'll take pictures and post a complete description. For now, let's just say that I think these books are going to represent something truly unique and different among Bay Area photogaphers, and that the clients who get them should plan to be the envy of all their friends!

Lauren Cohn-Frankel, International Award Winning Wedding Photojournalist!

***FREE SECOND SET OF PRINTS FOR EVERYONE!***
(Scroll to the bottom for info on how to get your free second set of prints)

in honor of




HUGE news! Some of you have been reading this since early last year, when I posted about getting accepted into the Wedding Photojournalist Association or WPJA. It was (and is) an honor to be accepted--they accept you based on an evaluation of your work, and they have very strict standards. Less than 5% of people who apply get in.

One of the many perks of getting into the WPJA is entering the quarterly contests--entries must be fresh work, from weddings shot during the same year as the contest, and they are always judged by established, working photojournalists (not other wedding photographers). These are the guys whose images grace the cover of national news magazines and papers, who cover wars and conflicts, foreign affairs, politics, etc...You're considered a winner if you place between 1st and 3rd, but honorable mentions for 4th-20th place are also given. Thousands of images are entered each quarter, and having a winning image is a very big deal.

Well, I said all that to say this: I WON! Twice! (ie with 2 different images in two separate categories).

Here are the winning images:



Just winning alone would normally be enough, but some of the judges of this particular contest have been inspiring me and my work for more than 10 years! One of them in particular is Eugene Richards, who has authored numerous photographic books and projects on such diverse topics as breast cancer, drug addiction, emergency medicine, pediatric HIV and AIDS, the meat packing industry, and aging and death in America. Richards' work was a huge inspiration to me in college; his work became the inspiration for a lot of my own, including a solo show I did in my senior year called "Scars" which was laid out like the pages of a book; containing 20x30" prints and accompanying text pieces mounted along the gallery wall.

Another contest judge I admire was Lauren Greenfield, who directed the Emmy nominated documentary "THIN", aired on HBO, about the lives of young women struggling with eating disorders. The movie spotlights her own emotional journey through the Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida, a residential facility dedicated to the treatment of anorexia and bulimia. It is a beautiful, touching film; and IMO any woman or man who has ever struggled with body image and weight issues (and who hasn't?) should see it.

The incredible team of judges also included Gary Knight, John Stanmeyer, and Ron Haviv. You can read bios of all the judges here, and see their work on the VII site here. It is such an incredible honor to be recognized by these photographers.

As for the images, the funny thing is that they are both from the same wedding! Kevin and Caitlin's wedding from September was SUPER fun, and the couple themselves are two of my favorite clients from this year.

About the cake smoosh image: Because the cake cutting is such a staple in wedding photography, the WPJA judges cake cutting images especially hard: contest rules for that category specify that entries should show a unique perspective, something beyond the usual "cutting and feeding" shots. Knowing this, I've been on the lookout for shots that I thought were unique enough to meet that standard, and with Caitlin and Kevin's shot I had a feeling even as I shot it that it might be the one. The judges' comments about my image praised it for good interplay between the main subjects and the guests in the background; Kevin as you can see is a real comedian and knows how to play to the crowd.

You can see all the winning entries for this quarter starting here (use the arrow buttons to more from image to image, and the drop down menu if you want to look at past contests or flip to another category). My winning images are here and here.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank Caitlin and Kevin for being such freaking awesome clients, subjects, and friends...and also thank you to all of my brides and grooms, for helping me to create work that I am proud of. Without you guys, this never would have been possible.

To express my thanks to all of you and in honor of my second place award, I'd like to offer anyone who places a print order from now until the end of January a FREE SECOND SET OF PRINTS! YAY! Just email me with the words "WPJA2" in the subject and the name of your event, and wait for my response, then you can go online and order like you would normally. Please wait for my response BEFORE you place your order!

(make sure to do it like I say above, sorry but I can't honor this on orders already placed or if you forget to wait for my response before you order. I also can't honor this on albums or anything else other than individual prints)