Quantcast
Channel: Benfield Photography Blog
Viewing all 1982 articles
Browse latest View live

Dominique and Cameron's Spring Fayetteville Engagement Portraits

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Y'all I've met the SWEEEEEETEST couple! Dominique, who is a star runner on the U of A track team (she recent helped her relay team win nationals for the Hogs, and won the 3000 meters - y'all she's awesome!) recently got engaged at her National meet! (you can read the story on that here). My first impression of both Dominique and Cameron (who was also a member of the U of A track team) was how completely sweet and fun they were! That lasted throughout the session, which sprinted by. Haha... sprinted. Anyway...This darling couple is getting married near the bride's home town of Cape Town, South Africa this December. So fun, right?

Dom helped pick the spots for their session and chose places that were special to the couple, including the U of A track, Pratt Place (where they run a lot... see the horse shot below), and around Dickson and Campus.

Here are some of my favorites from this engagement session... But also guess what... they have another post coming tomorrow!















Talk to you soon,
Dale

More Dominique and Cameron's Spring Engagement Portraits

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

More engagements from my favorite little track star couple! :) They are so precious to be around... like you're in the presence of the best people this world has to offer. I adore them so much and was totally and completely honored to photograph their engagements around Fayetteville.

Last thing... can we just agree that they are extremely photogenic?

















Talk to you soon,
Dale

Erin's Bridal Portraits in Downtown Little Rock

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Our darling, gorgeous Erin gets married today! Yay! I'm excited for her, but also excited that I get to share these darling, gorgeous images I shot down in Little Rock a few weeks ago.  Isn't she a vision?

















Talk to you soon,
Dale

Liam's COLORFUL 1st Birthday Party

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

One of our favorite little boys just turned ONE!  Liam, the adorable son to Ben and Mandy (check out their Wedding at Excellence Playa Mujeres) had the most adorable birthday party and we got to photograph it!  I love all the color!























Talk to you soon,
Dale

Vows Magazine Cover Feature

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

What an honor we had recently. Vows Magazine: The Bridal & Wedding Business Journal purchased this image for their recent issue - we are beyond thrilled! I loved Haven and Michael's wedding at Latrobe's so much, and I'm excited for such a fun honor like this!  Here's what it looks like:







Talk to you soon,
Dale

Rachel and Cody's Fayetteville Engagement Portraits

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Our darling Rachel is engaged! If you're a Benny Bride, you've probably received emails from her - now you can put a face with a name. She's as sweet as candy, she's so hardworking, so smart, so talented, and frees me up to be a photographer instead of being a slave to my computer.

I've known Rachel since I was her high school English teacher more than 10 years ago. She always had mad skills and always seemed to "get it." You know what I mean? Anyway... all that to say... I'm lucky to have her on the Benfield Photography team! More than that, though, we've become super close and she's now one of my very best all-time friends. Her friendship is something I value more than she realizes!

Cody knows what a great girl Rachel is as well! These two are head over heels for each other (I see it on a daily basis!) and I couldn't be happier for her. Or him! It's inspiring to see such true, deep love and y'all... it doesn't ooze out of them... it radiates! Big time!

























Talk to you soon,
Dale

Erin and Cody's Little Rock Wedding Portraits

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

I mean what I say when I say that I feel like my couples become my friends. Truly, Erin and I felt like lifelong friends all throughout her wedding day. She's as precious as the day is long, and we had the most fun.  Cody and I almost got arrested (not really), kicked out of the Clinton Library (not really again), and created some really fun memories.  My favorite time of the day was when we spent about 20 minutes shooting in Downtown Little Rock with gorgeous light and gorgeous scenery.  I love this one on one time with my couple!





Posted this on my instagram - it's my FAAAAAVE!








Talk to you soon,
Dale

Erin and Cody's Clinton Library Wedding Details

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Custom cocktails, creative florals, and lots of glitter and glam was sprinkled all over Erin and Cody's Little Rock wedding and reception. She had a dream day weather wise and did her part to make sure all her little details matched.  I'm absolutely in love with her Kate Spade shoes with glitter heels (I sound like a girl but I don't care!).


This is different from my typical dress shot, but I just wanted to incorporate downtown little rock where the wedding and ceremony were... this is a shot I'm definitely proud of!







Isn't this just perfect?!

Both great choices... :)



Stay tuned for the sweet story of Erin and Cody's wedding day!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Erin and Cody's Little Rock Wedding Story

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

I love storytelling. If I'm being honest, I'm a LOUSY storyteller with words. I suck at telling jokes. I skip to the end way too fast or leave out important details... I'll admit that my brain doesn't work the way other brains do.  But what I can do pretty well... better than most... is to tell stories with my camera. I love having that ability, and I love that my brides appreciate that!

Erin and Cody's story was funny and sweet and so much fun!  Let me start...

How about this beautiful detail... Erin's mom tied the most beautiful belt around Erin's dress. Totally stunning right?


Cody was SO ready to see his bride. We got in trouble (oops) by being in the museum part of the library at first, and after taking the long way around, he was more ready than ever to see his beautiful bride. Look how happy he is!



So... let me set up this shot. A couple days before the wedding, Erin texted me and said "we have dinos." I had NO clue what that meant.  I thought it was a typo and she meant like, maybe, "dinner" or... I don't know. Anyway, it wasn't a typo... she said that they had DINOSAURS outside the Clinton Library for a new exhibit.  Yes, two days before her wedding. Some brides would have been upset that this was the entrance to their dream reception, now tainted with moving, roaring dinosaurs, but not Erin!  She totally embraced it... it definitely made for a fun story!

And a fun picture!


Erin's dad was a cool as they come. We bonded over bow-tying, and he won me over with his batman socks and his Irish blessing at the reception. He had a great time all night long, which is so nice to see from the father of the bride!



Total dream sanctuary! Ornate and breathtaking.



Check it out! We have Benny Backlight for a first dance shot.  The Clinton Library is a BEAUTIFUL wedding reception venue, y'all!  Just stunning panoramas of downtown Little Rock and the BEST lighting!

Already a great team...

These girls were so silly and fun! All night! And how cute are those heart glowy glasses!

Boom Kinetic brought the entertainment and killed it, as usual.  I love when they do crazy fun dance time. Got a neat motion/action shot here...

Awww... Coco and Teacup (their cute lil nicknames for each other).  Isn't this picture everything?!

I came to get down.

How fun is this!!! Another cool motion shot of our couple leaving the reception (I love the motion even more because it draws attention to the couple instead of everything else (aka signs hanging from the library... of course, now I've drawn attention to it... hahahahaha!). Anyway, such a fun getaway for sure!



Erin and Cody are currently checking the blog from Excellence Playa Mujeres (my favorite place ever!)... Hi Erin and Cody! I hope you're having an amazing time!


Talk to you soon,
Dale

More Little Rock Wedding Portraits Near the Clinton Library

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Let's wrap up this beautiful wedding and reception at the Clinton Library in downtown Little Rock today with more of Erin and Cody's wedding portraits.  A dream... a vision... just a perfect day. Truly.



So gorgeous. This couple, that light, even in black and white.




Come on in, Benny Backlight. You're always welcome here.





And y'all... can there be a better way to end it?  The dinosaurs at this wedding made it memorable for sure. We just had to shoot a silly shot with our bride and groom embracing their inner t-rex. (yes, I know that's not a t-rex behind them... hahaha!)




Talk to you soon,
Dale

Happy Mother's Day Meredith

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

This Mother's Day, Mere has to work. And it seems like she's had to work on a couple of her birthdays since shooting weddings. She's a saint, really.  But what she REALLY excels at is being a mother. I remember us talking years ago about not necessarily wanting kids. She loved our life of travel and sleeping in. But watching her become a mother has opened my eyes to a whole new Mere. She's selfless and giving and Cece is her entire world. It's pretty presh.  We did a little mini session of Mere and Ceester this week and I just have to show you a couple of my faves.




P.S. Cece's dress is from Oh Cecelia. Got a little princess of your own? Head to Mere's online girls boutique and treat yourself to something fun and adorable!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Oh Sweet Joy + Bonnie Does It Again

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Oh Sweet Joy recently reached out to Bonnie to ask to do a shoot with one their favorite tanks. Bonnie styled it two different ways and we (as always) had a fun time shooting. This shoot was done in downtown Fayetteville with some cool little spots...






Talk to you soon,
Dale

Sweet Gift from a Sweet Bride

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

I know we've already finished Laura Beth and Andy's El Dorado wedding, but I just had to do a post about the sweetest gift from them.  We don't always get gifts from brides (and we definitely don't expect them), but this is just SO precious... we really appreciate special thoughts like this:

1) the champagne is their favorite bottle (I think she said they had it on their first date... awwww!)
2) they made a donation to our very favorite charity, Art Feeds, on our behalf.  Is there anything sweeter than that? I think not!





Talk to you soon,
Dale

Mackenzie's Spring Senior Portraits in Fayetteville

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

I had the PLEASURE of shooting the most remarkable senior recently. She is truly a gem (as is her sister, who acted as my assistant for the day, and their sweet mom). Mackenzie could pull of diva or sweet in an instant - such a model!  Have a look!





















Talk to you soon,
Dale

Maeleigh and Jason's Bell Gables Wedding Portraits

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Raining on a wedding day is supposed to be good luck. Maeleigh and Jason are gonna be lucky in their marriage. It rained on their wedding day for most of it, but guess what... it stopped when it was portrait time! I always seem to be able to get pretty portraits on the wedding day regardless of what the weather is supposed to be doing. M+J were so sweet and easy going, and actually... they embraced the rain, bringing the cutest umbrella for the 2nd half of their portrait session.

Their wedding was at St. Catherine's at Bell Gables in Fayetteville - the closest chapel to my house, and one of the most beautiful I've ever seen in my life! They had to move the ceremony indoors, but as you'll see in tomorrow's post, it was absolutely breathtaking.  Today I want to share some of my favorite portraits. Enjoy!



















Talk to you soon,
Dale

Maeleigh and Jason's Bell Gable Wedding and Garden Room Reception

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Maeleigh and Jason are enjoying an extended honeymoon right now (SO JEALOUS), but I hope they have internet so they can see these detail and story-telling images from their wedding day! (In case you missed their portraits, scroll down on the blog!)



Julie made the most delicately beautiful orchid bouquet.

Maeleigh = stunning

Foreground/background composition for you photographers out there. Cool vintage car for you brides out there...



St. Catherine's at Bell Gables is such a breathtaking chapel. Perfect for a small and intimate wedding like this one.

I snuck upstairs and got a beautiful overview shot that showcased the chapel.

At the Garden Room on Dickson, the couple help a sweet reception for their family and friends.



Handmade Moments CHARMED the crowd with their unique voices and talent.

It was a really sweet night and I'm so happy for this darling couple!



Talk to you soon,
Dale

Bo + Keith's Portrait Session

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

I'm really fortunate to have gained some great friends in the wedding industry here in Northwest Arkansas. One of my very favorite people is Bo, stylist at Dead Swanky. He and I go way back to the very first NWA Fashion Week where he styled and I shot for Riffraff. Since then, he's worked with so many of my brides and was featured in one of our Benfield Weddings Magazines. Lately, we've become hangout/dinner buddies too - his conversations are hilarious and his outlook on life is inspiring.

He and Keith have been together for years. Last month we were having dinner and I said I'd never photographed a same sex couple, but I would really love to. In a state where same sex marriages aren't legal yet, it's hard to find clients who need my services, but of course I'd be more than willing! They said they'd never had their picture taken professionally and within 5 minutes our session was planned.  All I have to say is it was as fun (or even more) than I imagined.  Here are some of our favorites from this session.













Talk to you soon,
Dale

Cece in the Oh Cecelia Eden Dress!

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Cece time! This precious babe steals my heart on the daily. She's cute and sweet and loves her dada like crazy. I love her right back!

We put her into an Oh Cecelia dress (want one - only $24? Here's the link!)












Talk to you soon,
Dale

Ellie's Spring 2015 Dance Recital

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

Another year, another recital... but it seems like each year Ellie does more and more dances, and she is more and more confident in her skills (and so she should be).  She has such admirable determination and drive to be an exceptional dancer, and she has proven herself this year!

Opening number of the recital had her as a dancing Elvis - I love this so much!



Sorry for the booty shot Nicole (Ellie's dance teacher), but I love this shot because it shows my darling girl taking instruction from the woman that she's looked up to and learned from for years. Just precious.




Ellie has so much fun dancing hip-hop. She has on occasion taught me some of her hip-hop moves (she's WAY better than I am).


Her ballet performance this year was an ice skating routine. It looked so real - I absolutely would have fallen on my face, haha!  She was full of grace, obviously.

This girl stole my heart.

Effortless, and smiling the entire time.

And a few more... just so proud of this girl.







Talk to you soon,
Dale

New to the Blog: Sailor Benfield

$
0
0


Hey everybody!

I love living in Arkansas. There's not a place in the world where I'd rather live (there are some others I'd like to take extended vacations... don't get me wrong... haha!). I love the people here, the culture, the food, and omg... the nature.  What I don't love about Arkansas is that my brother doesn't live here.

Steven and I have been close most of our lives, being less than two years apart in age, and I feel like he is a huge piece of my identity and why I am who I am. More than 10 years ago, he married Leanne, his soulmate (it's easy to see!) and they started popping out the cutest babies.  I mean seriously.... the CUTEST BABIES.

Well, they're at it again. After three beautiful and wonderful boys, Steven and Leanne have the most precious little girl. Since my schedule is so packed and I live in the next state over, I haven't been able to photograph this little beauty until recently, but I think she was saving all her best smiles for our photo shoot because... y'all... this baby girl was HAMMING IT UP for my camera.  We were all cracking up at how perfect she became when I put my camera to my face (maybe she thought I was playing peek-a-boo???).  What you see below is the result...





Talk to you soon,
Dale

Viewing all 1982 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images