Judd Sather Photography Blog

Click here to view Eric and Amber’s Italian Coffee Table Album – the shopping cart icon will work once they have had a chance to review all of the pictures.
Here is their highlight video!

Eric and Amber’s wedding wins the “earliest bride ready to go” award. Usually we show up and shoot some creative “getting ready” pictures for 30 minutes or so and then have couples see each other. But today, we took some pictures of the outside of the building and walked up to the third floor of the University Club and there was Amber dressed and ready to see Eric 35 minutes early. So, we unpacked everything quickly and got some great photos and video right off the bat.

A brisk walk in the summer sun to the Hill Library and Rice Park yielded some great outdoor pictures as well. You guys are a fun couple – witty and laid back enough to roll with the DJ playing the wrong first song. 🙂 My favorite moments were a groomsmen roasting Eric for faking a broken leg one time to get out of work and Eric saying at the end of the night video interview that this was one of the “Top 10” weddings he had ever been to. Enjoy your honeymoon and we’ll have your album designed and up in a week or two. -Judd, Amanda, Joe, and Josh

Funny side story tonight for you blog followers is I found my hotel key from the Chanute, Kansas wedding (see June 30 (Craig and Tara) and July 14 (Ben and Kate) to get caught up on the story) in my photo bag tonight and dropped them in the mailbox. Hope they hadn’t changed the locks yet…

Digital Coffee Table Album link – click on the shopping cart once Kedar and Lindsay have released all the pictures – free doubles until August 26!
So my day starts off at 12:15 in the early morning at the Seattle Airport. This guy in front of me at the Northwest ticket counter couldn’t figure out why he couldn’t check into the computer for his flight. The lady at the desk was trying to explain to him that the day changed from the 20th to the 21st 15 minutes ago and that his flight was at 12:55 the previous morning. The guy was confused (as he drove to the airport on the 20th), so keep that in mind next time you book a close-to-midnight flight. Good thing my wife is my travel agent. Did you know that exit row seats don’t always lean back? Put that in your memory bank also as it is miserable trying to sleep in an upright position even though you have plenty of leg room.

So, I get back to my house at 8am, grab about 3 hours of sleep and head to Burnsville for Kedar and Lindsay’s wedding. It wasn’t too hot and there was a nice breeze as well. I am kind of tall but felt small around the bridesmaids as they are all like All-American athletes in hockey, field hockey, volleyball and basketball so this wedding wins the “tallest, most athletic bridesmaids” award.

Some unique shots were Lindsay dipping & kissing Kedar (above) and Lindsay flexing her formidable biceps. My favorite part of the day (besides Kedar’s brother’s wife Martha trying to talk me into having a 4th child) was seeing the potato in various shots of Kedar in the Growing Up video at the reception – what was up with that? Somebody leave a comment, I know it’s a long story.

Due to lack of sleep, I forgot the table cards with our website on it so go to www.studiojphoto.com and… …wait, you’re already here! -Judd and Jessi

Click here to see the rest of the pictures (some taken by my 3-year old after arranging everyone how he wanted).
Check out the size of that fish! I had to hike 3 hours uphill to get to Holden Lake in the Wenatchee Wilderness of Washington State but the views (and pictures) were well worth it – we were surrounded by glaciers, mountains, and waterfalls in 70 degree weather. I think I caught 7 fish on my first 10 casts. Photo tip: hold the fish with your arm extended towards the camera to make it look bigger (demonstrated in the picture). DO NOT put your fingers around the fish as then you give away its real puny size (also demonstrated above).

My extended family decided to spend a week in remote Holden Village without cell phones, TV, red meat, and pretty much every modern convenience including automatic pin setting machines in the bowling alley. Hikes, fishing, time with kids, pottery, reading, conversation, hot tubs, pool, and bowling filled the days instead.

It was a great break but funny timing since it was in an “10 weddings in 4 weeks” time frame. Do you know like 50% of Americans don’t take the vacation they are entitled to? Probably since you don’t want your employers to find out their company runs just fine while you were gone; probably because you spend most of your day online reading other people’s blogs. 🙂 So, I have a solution: drag your feet on work for two weeks before your scheduled vacation, then have a bunch of friends call your “if this matter needs immediate attention” colleague over and over so the perception is that you are invaluable to the company and therefore need more vacation time. Try it and let me know what happens. -Judd

Click here to see Ben and Kate’s Digital Italian Coffee Table Album! click on the shopping cart to see all the pictures once Ben and Kate have had a chance to view them all.

OK, here’s a “small world” story if you ever heard one: Ben’s family (The Babcocks) are from Chanute, Kansas (see blog for Craig and Tara’s Wedding June 30). Unreal…

What a great wedding! When Ben and Kate first saw each other outside the church it was one of the most genuine first meetings I have had the pleasure to photograph. Except for the Pawn America sign in the background of course which I captured as well (on purpose). Regardless, Ben and Kate just radiated with adoration toward each other and lit up as soon as they were finally together on the wedding day.

The ceremony was great, even though Ben had microphone problems all day it seemed. 🙂 We got a couple REALLY great shots of them walking out of the church under a shower of bubbles (see above).

Shady Thompson park yielded some really great wedding party shots on a gorgeous day; finally a summer wedding with great weather! The St. Paul Hotel was decorated beautifully and the bathrooms had some unique ice placement (right cousins at table 5?). This wedding wins the “Best Vows” award for the heartfelt, memorized, and ‘not by the book’ verses Kate and Ben spoke to each other – Uncle Roger, you got that on video, right?

Check back here in late July for their online album, I’m going on vacation for a few days! -Judd and Jessi

Click here to view their online Coffee Table Album and click on the shopping cart to view and /or order all the photos once Joe and Nikki have had a chance to view them. Free doubles on all orders placed before Aug 25!

Amanda and Chris shot wedding #3 of the day – Joe and Nikki. It was great to see a young North High contigent (Anna, Alec, Laura and Brady, and Alec) as well as a Studio J photographer as a guest (Chad holding the flowers).

It looked like a really great day with lots of fun pictures like the groomsmen hanging from a tree. Nice catch on the garter, Brad – I always told Coach Porter you should have been an outfielder! -Judd

Heather and Jason’s Wedding Highlights – part 1

Part 2 (reception)

So Jessi and I leave Ben and Kate’s wedding to try to catch an hour or so of Jason and Heather’s wedding that Joe and Josh videotaped and had a classic case of GPS gone awry… instead of going to Mississippi BLVD, we went to Mississippi Dunes golf course (Hastings / St Paul, pretty much the same right? Not quite. You should have seen the confused look on the bride’s face there seeing two photographers walk in a 10pm. We did eventually get there and were greeted by 1/2 the cast of the “Secret Lives of Teachers” as they were leaving the wedding (see blog for April, 2007). Ms. Destics’ shoulder was sore from driving her truck all weekend, apparently. They must have had some secret stuff to do leaving at 10:30 on a non-school summer night.

I grabbed a couple of shots for Jason and Heather’s DVD artwork (above) and headed home thinking I haven’t seen Heather that happy since she got her Q-comp check 😉 (teacher joke). These guys win the “best dance moves by a couple” award for the ‘hook, line, and sinker’ fishing move from across the dance floor. Very appropriate. -Joe, Josh, Jessi, and Judd (full Studio “J” crew)

Craig and Tara’s Italian Album – Click the shopping cart to see all the pictures; free doubles through early August on all online orders!
Click below to watch their video – resolution is low for faster streaming!

Have you wondered why we haven’t had any rain in Minnesota? It’s ALL in Kansas – 15 inches in the 3 days we were there, helping the river 33.5 feet over normal levels and closing roads (check out the picture above – there’s not supposed to be a waterfall there at all!)

Where do I begin? As we’re driving into the BOONDOCKS of Chanute, Kansas for this family wedding, I noticed a sign that said “birthplace of Walter Johnson” and I’m wondering “Who the heck is Walter Johnson?” Turns out he was one of the best baseball pitchers ever that played – his career ended in the early 1900’s and the sign looked that old… So we make it into town past the “Bargain Center” where “no credit is needed” and I’m wondering “If things are such a bargain why would you need credit?” Then when I entered my hotel (Wild Bill Hickcock hotel room) and saw the carpeted BATHROOMS, I stopped wondering about things in Chanute as my brain had started hurting.

Some unique shots at this wedding was one of the wedding party while standing on the rail of the bridge, the amazing 6-level cake Tara’s grandma made, and a picture of Craig and Tara while I was actually singing with the family during the ceremony.

It was raining (again) after the short reception so we went back to the Tioga Suites and wound up finally finding a slow song by George Strait so Craig and Tara could have their first dance. In Kansas, they play BOTH kinds of music, Country AND Western – and the DJ’s sure weren’t used to wedding dances in the hotel bar. The evening ended with the family checking which roads were flooded and closed online – there was only way out of town (the opposite direction we needed to go) but it looked like we could get back to Kansas City Int’l the next day. But wait! One last surprise, a 1am tour of the hotel brewery from the Brewmeister who had just returned from a party. She was also kind enough to show us her 7 new pug puppies – 10 hours old; my camera was unfortunately asleep by then. The MOST UNIQUE WEDDING award goes to Craig and Tara’s, hands down. -Judd