Lane Weddings - the blog. - Omaha Wedding Photographer

Kassidy + Jeremy: Working it the Wisner and West Point way

lane — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 20:01:05 +0000

There’s nothing quite like a small town wedding celebration. Kassidy and Jeremy planned themselves a dandy, first getting married in Wisner then traveling to West Point to rock out with their friends and family. I love the soft, warm light from dusk we were able to use along a dirt road surrounded by corn and bean fields.

Joshlyn + Daniel: loads of laughter

lane — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 16:11:27 +0000

It’s always fun going out on an engagement shoot with a couple that just seem right for each other. Such was the case with Joshlyn and Daniel. You can just really see love the two have for each other in the way they make each other laugh and the tender way in which they interact with each other. And I am so looking forward to their wedding. Outdoor October wedding in Nebraska City? Yes, please! When I close my eyes, I can already imagine the faint smells of apple cider and wood burning fireplaces. Not to mention the sounds of leaves crackling under my feet, laughter and wedding bells!

Jenna + Joel: Riders on the Storm

lane — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 22:34:55 +0000

This shoot was beyond spectacular. This thunderstorm started producing right when we were ending what was, up to that point, a pretty damned fine engagement session. But just as we were closing up shop, this thunderhead started producing amazing amounts of lightning. Here’s a nice little time-lapse to show you. Each frame is about a two second exposure. Camera was on a tripod as Jenna and Joel were instructed to do their best not to move. An off-camera studio flash with a brolly box lit the couple. They did awesome despite getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. The sequence loops once. Enjoy!

Riders on the Storm from Lane Hickenbottom on Vimeo.

Bring on the Perseids!

lane — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 15:43:33 +0000

Last night I headed out into the country with my friend Mitch Miller to try to photograph the Perseid meteor shower. Shooting stars are hard to photograph unless they are abundant and bright. The ones we saw last night were neither. We battled mosquitoes the size of humming birds, heat (it was in the mid-80s and very humid at midnight), cloud cover, and a host of other things including oncoming traffic and train lights, an inability to focus our cameras in the darkness (manually focus to infinity then pull back just a smidgen) and a meteor shower that was barely a sprinkle.

Despite those obstacles, we both had a great time, made some interesting photos and even donated about a pint of blood back to nature. I even got one photo of a meteor!

Camera settings for both photos: Canon EOS 5D, ISO 1600, 30 seconds, f/2.8. EF16-35 2.8 lens at 16mm. Flash in second photo is Canon Speedlight 580EX II, set manually at 1/128th power with black tape blocking about 65% of the flash surface, popped manually. Photos taken east of Missouri Valley, Iowa.

Kelly + Ryan: Lost in Paradise

lane — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 18:54:04 +0000

I occasionally find myself in these situations where I wish time could stand still so I could shoot all the photos I want to before the light changes, before dinner beckons, before the reception starts, before the inevitable end of what is a culmination of perfection.

Such was the case last month in Cabo San Lucas. Kelly and Ryan had just finished tying the knot in the most beautiful of settings. The small, intimate gathering on a sandy beach next to the Sea of Cortez was exhilarating. Kelly was breathtaking in her one-of-a-kind dress designed specifically for the occasion. Ryan was eager to give me all the time I needed to make this collection of photos (and so many more!). But unfortunately all good things come to an end. Such was the case as it grew dark and dinner was ready to be served.

Thank you so much Kelly and Ryan for bringing Lane Weddings to Mexico with you guys. Thank you both for treating my wife and I like guests. We are truly grateful to have been part of a gorgeous wedding!

*third photo taken by my beautiful wife, Sarah.

Destination weddings, anyone?

lane — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:18:51 +0000

Well, I’m packing my bags. Sarah (seen here five years ago on our honeymoon in Negril, Jamaica) and I are headed to beautiful Cabo San Lucas tomorrow morning, where we will photograph Kelly and Ryan’s wedding.

I look forward to sharing the photos with you. But not nearly as much as I look forward to the sound of the Pacific crashing onto white, sandy beaches while I have an ice-cold drink in my hands and the ocean breeze in my hair.

Until then, this blog is on vacation.

¡Hasta luego!

Jill + Colby: Oh the Places You’ll Go

lane — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:52:43 +0000

Let me start this blog off by stating that I really love my clients. All of them. I enjoy following them on Facebook after their wedding has passed so I can quietly celebrate their marriage as it prospers. When I find out a wedding client just bought their first new home together, I share their excitement. When they announce that they are expecting a child, I find myself in glee! In the tragic event that those hopes end sadly, I–in a small way–share their sadness and extend my prayers. When a couple books me to photograph their wedding, they join the Lane Weddings family, and I’ll forever be emotionally bonded to them. As a witness to their vows, I stand among the rest of their friends and family who have a vested interest in seeing the bonds of their marriage strengthen each day and each year as they grow older together.

So why have I decided to get all sentimental now? It’s all the fault of this weekend’s wedding.

Even though I love all my clients, I absolutely adore Jill and Colby, who I met last summer at Ann and Chey’s ridiculously amazing wedding. Each of them are such caring, genuine, thoughtful and loving people. Colby greets his friends with solid hugs and always lets them know how important they are to him. I’m honored to now be included in that group of fortunate people. Jill…wow…let me just tell you that not only have I never worked for a bride sweeter, it’s unlikely that I ever will. She is so absorbed in making the world a better place for those around her, and she succeeds with elegance and charm. As a couple, they are a poetic force of grace.

So it’s no surprise that they would conspire together one of the most heartfelt, tear-jerking weddings I’ve ever been too. Each of them read letters to each other before reciting their vows. It wasn’t the words they wrote for each other–which were thoughtful, loving and profound–that left not a dry eye in the church. Rather it was the perfect blend of confidence and vulnerability in their voices as they expressed their devotion to each other. Then Jill, who has the voice of an angel, made a surprise change in the program as she sung a beautiful, powerful and sweet love song to her groom. Hello misty eyes!

These are just a couple of the many examples of deep sentiment that went into Jill and Colby’s North Platte, Neb. wedding day, a day that was full of them. Colby’s brother, Chey’s slide show toast, Jill’s father talking about Jill’s transformation into the beautiful swan that she is, and Jill’s mother joining the string quartet at dinner were just a few of them. But rather continuing on about it, I give you the photos:

Heather + Chris: Go Big Wed!

lane — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:11:26 +0000

Chris works for the University of Nebraska Athletic Department. Heather is a former Husker cheerleader. So when they suggested they go in and around Memorial Stadium for their wedding-day portrait session, I thought it was a perfect fit. Heather and Chris’ wedding was fabulous. Not only did we make some great photos at the stadium, but the entire day was filled with laughter, love and some nice venues–a recipe for great images. The Rococo Theatre in downtown Lincoln is simply AMAZING!

Jill + Wade: small town, big wedding

lane — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 01:32:42 +0000

Recently got to spend some time in Syracuse, Neb.–a town that I frequently buzz right on through when traveling to the in-laws. Jill and Wade lit the town red (er green) with their grand wedding party. Jill was a ridiculously stunning bride. Luther Memorial Church was reduced to standing room only. My favorite part of the wedding: a great hay-rack ride through town after the ceremony.

Quick hits:

Church: Luther Memorial Church

Reception: Kimmel Ag Expo Center

Catering: Country Catering-Diane Teten-Nebraska City, NE

Cake: Shirley Siefken-Syrcause, NE

Flowers: Snapdragon Floral-Nebraska City, NE

DJ: Martoones-Marty Pfeiffer

Cold Creations Bar: Jo-on-the-Go, Omaha

Bridal Shop- Azurite Bridal

Suits: Tip-Top-Tux

Rings: Helzberg Diamonds

Back in newspapers: yours truly

lane — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 22:01:10 +0000

No, I’m not closing shop and returning to the daily grind as a newspaper photographer. Been there. Done that.

But some photos of mine have been making their rounds in the mainstream media. One of my beautiful brides–and formal journalism colleagues–wrote a story about her experience planning a wedding during tough economical times. Click here to read Jill Zeman Bleed’s story, Layoff Dims but Doesn’t Doom One Bride’s Wedding.

A quick Google search shows that her story ran on the following list of news-media outlets’ online sites, and I’m sure many others. You can imagine that they ran in many of their print editions as well, though I’m not sure which ones.

ABC News

CNBC

MSNBC

Christian Science Monitor

The Canadian Press

Olean Times Herald

NewsTimes.com

Philly.com

Concord Monitor

Stamford Advocate

The Grand Island Independent

The Bradford Era

Louisville, Kentucky Courier-Journal

Athens Banner-Herald

Connecticut Post

The Salamanca Press

Hamilton Spectator

Greenwich Time

Ocala Star-Banner

Deseret News

The Providence Journal

Brandon Sun

apartmani-brzica.com

Houma Today

Winnipeg Free Press

The Western Star

Philadelphia Inquirer

The St. John’s Telegram

Buzzspree.com

Medicine Hat News

The Moose Jaw Times Herald

The New Glasgow News (still reading?)

The Prince Albert Daily Herald (seems to be a lot of Canadian papers picking this up)

ChoiceTennisShoes.com (I’m not making this up)

Northwest Indiana Times

San Mateo Daily Journal

Newser.com

World News Network

Montgomery Advertiser

Sulekha.com

ArticleSnatch.com

Westport News

Darien News

Star Photo Search

The Ames Tribune

Greenwich Citizen

The Greater New Milford Spectrum

Norwalk Citizen

Fairfield Citizen

New Canaan News

Big News Network

The Gainesville Sun

Journal Pioneer

Daylife.com

APnews.com