2012 Highlight Reel

Hi everyone -- I put together a short video featuring some of my favorite images of 2012. Click play and kick back for 5 minutes! And thanks to all of you who made this year so much fun.

Click HERE for the Highlight Reel.

Have a great holiday season! - Nathan

Jeremy & Sara | Lincoln, NE Engagement Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

Jeremy and Sara met with me under the last full moon -- and we made the most of it. They both have creative streaks so they made the process a blast. Here are a few outtakes from our time together.

Bella and Charlie | Des Moines, Iowa Portraits by 40 Nights Photography

I've been taking pictures of Bella for years, and now her little sister Charlie, too. Both are painfully cute. Their mom, Meghan, should move closer to central Iowa (hint, hint) that we can all hang out more often!

Matt & Blair | Des Moines, Iowa Family Portrait Session by 40 Nights Photography

We met up with Blair and Matt outside of Ankeny a couple of weekends ago. Not only was the weather great, but Nolan was in a perfect mood for pictures, too. And then Blair lost her car keys in the tall grass and we spent 15 minutes looking for them. We found them, which capped off a great night.

Steve, Sara and Grace | Family Portraits in Des Moines, Iowa by 40 Nights Photography

Sara asked me to swing by their home last weekend to hang out and take a few pictures. The primary subject, as you can see, was Grace. I first started making pictures of Grace when she was just a baby -- now she's 4 1/2 and way, way too smart for her age.

Jeremy & Ashley | Beatrice, Nebraska Engagement Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

Ashley currently lives in Lincoln but Jeremy grew up in Shickley. We headed out to his small town for a shoot just as the weather was turning cold and windy.

Eric & Kim | Lincoln, NE Engagement Portraits by 40 Nights Photography

Eric and Kim met up with me for an extended engagement session. We hit the dance floor in downtown Lincoln, then zipped to a local park and then finally found a quiet spot in the country for some pictures under a waxing moon. Pretty fun stuff.

Pinterest, Preconceptions and Parasitic Replications

One of the best things about meeting new people and making new friends is the potential for new adventures. Other people have their own set of life experiences and values that make them unique. From a photography standpoint, I always try to tap into those special and exclusive experiences of each person in order to make timeless and personal pictures.

A lot of people appreciate my approach and visual style, and in return, I love that they are so enthusiastic about working with me. That kind of positive energy sets the tone and vibe for really wonderful images.

However, I've recently run into more and more couples who embrace the spirit of my visual style -- but then put their own inner emotional and mental boundaries on what constitutes a "good" photo shoot.

That's where Pinterest comes in. Pinterest is a great place to share and collect ideas for wedding photography, decorations, activities and a whole lot more.

Whether you're conscious of it, as you pin and re-pin your favorite images, you're defining those styles that suit your personality and preferences. Everyone follows a process like this when they're planning an event, no matter if it's through Pinterest, wedding magazines or some other type of media.

I wholeheartedly back Pinterest and other sites as jumping off points for inspiration. However, just as the Internet has watered down, diluted and globalized so many aspects of human culture, so too has it proliferated specific styles of photography, wedding and otherwise.

In other words, sites like Pinterest spread specific types of images by popularity -- as in, a popularity contest of immense proportions. Those are the expected images. They are the pictures that fit our mass culture's definition of what's good and right in image making.

When couples come to me wanting unique photography, I ask them to abandon their ideas of what a photo shoot really is. For many people that's a hard concept to embrace. How exactly are you supposed to plan for something like this?

The answer is simple. You don't.

The best photos are a combination of a few elements, like quality of light and location. But you can't manufacture or plan for serendipity and magic, which are critical to making unforgettable and iconic images instead of copycat pictures like the ones you see all over the Web.

For that part, you just have to trust me and trust the process. In the end, that communication and faith pay dividends in images that bypass popular fads and instead last a lifetime.

Chris & Taylor | Lincoln, NE Wedding Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

Chris and Taylor dated, well, forever. So when their wedding day finally came they were definitely ready for everything. Here are a few images that we made together.

Angie & Mindy Trash the Dress | Lincoln, Nebraska Portraits by 40 Nights Photography

For their one-year anniversary, Angie and Mindy wanted to go all out. So we took not one, but both of their dresses out in the the countryside. And then they had a massive paint war. And then...they doused them with a healthy dose of accelerant...and watched as they literally exploded into flames. That was, shall we say, rather fun.

Reed & Christina | Engagement Pictures in Lincoln, NE by 40 Nights Photography

Reed and Christina have had a the kind of stars-in-alignment kind of connection since they first met. And neither time nor distance have slowed them down one bit. They'll be getting married in Sparks in less than two weeks. Can't wait to see them again!

Chris & Jessica | Omaha, NE Wedding Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

Congratulations to Chris and Jessica! It was a little wet on their wedding day, but that didn't stop everyone from having a great time.

Gerace Family Portraits | Lincoln, NE Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

I take pictures of the Gerace family at least once per year -- and I try to watch at least one Denver football game with Andy. I need to catch up with them more often from now on because their girls are growing up way too fast.

Jim and Tadessa | Lincoln, NE Maternity Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

I was lucky enough to shoot Jim and Tadessa's wedding a couple of years ago in Scribner. We always have way too much fun, and it was no different on their recent maternity shoot. She is due in November and it will be exciting to hear whether they had a boy or girl.

Dan & Nicole | Lincoln, NE Engagement Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

Dan and Nicole are getting married this November -- so our engagement shoot was actually a bit on the late side. We picked a perfect night. No humidity, no wind and comfortable temperatures. We spent the night wandering the countryside and parts of downtown Lincoln. The results made our efforts worthwhile.

Paul & Carrie | Nebraska Wedding Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

There were cowboy boots, a horse-drawn wagon and football poses. That's a Nebraska wedding for you. Congratulations to Carrie and Paul!

Alex & Julia | Lincoln, Nebraska Wedding Pictures by 40 Nights Photography

Julia hunted Alex for years before he finally agreed to date, and then eventually, marry her. They are a great couple and I wish them the best!