What I'm reading: BLOG edition!

Hey everybody!

I have the best wedding clients. They are so creative and fun! Lately, I've been checking some blog stats and noticed lots of people being sent to my site from their blogs. I love keeping up with them just as much as they like keeping up with Meredith, Ellie, and me.

Check out some of our friends' blogs by clicking the link below.
http://momapoo.blogspot.com/
http://leahjuanita.blogspot.com/
http://www.chelseaeward.blogspot.com/
http://mattmelmackenzie.blogspot.com/
http://jilltompkins.blogspot.com/
http://haileyandmatt.blogspot.com/
http://www.langley-hilborn.blogspot.com/
http://brookedavesteeneck.blogspot.com/

There were lots of others, but I got tired of coding...
Maybe I'll do another one later on.

Happy reading!
Dale

Jackson's Smile

Hey everybody!

Let's make a change!! This blog reaches a ton of people everyday and I would love to use it for a little good (instead of me just blabbing about me all the time... ha ha ha).

One of my friends, Jose Villa, is raising money through selling some art prints (they're gorgeous, I have one in my house!) for Jackson's Smile

Please, go there, read, and if you feel drawn, click "buy a photograph" on the right column. There are many super talented photographers who have galleries from which to choose.



By the way, I just got on there and purchased a print. So many good ones to choose from!

LEAVE A COMMENT and let us know which one you purchased!!

Here's to making a difference!
Dale

Mraz contest winners!

How cute are Abby and Colby?!?! They are two favorite former students of mine from Joplin. I photographed Abby's senior portraits and their prom portraits awhile back. Recently they tricked me into thinking they were engaged with a Facebook stunt I didn't appreciate :)

You can view their full video on youtube. Precious... just precious!

Congrats! Have fun at the show!!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Ellie teaches about Harry Potter

Hey everybody!

Ellie has been asking to do a Harry Potter blog for a LONG time! So, last night we recorded a short video to teach you all about Harry Potter. She's already seen each of the movies dozens of times and walks around the house yelling magic spells. She's a bit silly, but that's why we love her! Enjoy her short little lesson!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Bethany and Paul's engagement session

Hey everybody!

We met up with Bethany and Paul recently to shoot their engagement pictures! They were a super fun couple and we got some awesome portraits of them! Bethany was referred to us by her sorority sister, Maggie, who is one of our 2009 brides! We love it when our brides tell everyone they know about us...makes us feel like we're doing something right! Bethany and Paul are a super cute couple, it was hard to choose which ones to go on the blog...we love them all!
Here are a few of our VERY favorites!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Race for the Cure: Why We Race

Hey everybody!

We have an insanely busy day today. Not only are we up at the crack of dawn (actually 5:30) to set up the Brides for the Cure tent in Rogers, then walking the Race for the Cure, but we are also photographing a wedding (we have to be there right after the race - yikes!) It would be easy to make excuses not to be so involved, especially with a wedding in the morning. However, there is a great reason why we feel so compelled to help make a difference.

Ellie's "Nana" Denise was diagnosed this past year with breast cancer.

Denise loves life more than just about anyone I've ever known. She always sees the best in people, always has a smile on her face, and is always enthusiastic to help others. She's been an amazing grandma for Ellie, not only modeling how to love, but also teaching her how to embrace life (even when it doesn't seem fair). Ellie and Nana are extremely close, so much so that Ellie has gone to treatments, surgeries, and doctor appointments with her. I adore the relationship Nana and Ellie have and feel blessed that God is using Nana in such a powerful way.

Here are a few quick shots I grabbed of Denise (who is a professor at the University of Arkansas) and Ellie yesterday.




Here's to finding a Cure!
Dale

Brides for the Cure info!

Did you know that there are over 18,000 participants in the 2009 Komen Ozark Race for the Cure? Here are some tips to make your experience a better one on Race Morning...

Arriving & Parking
Traveling NORTH on I-540, take Exit 82 and turn right off of the exit. Proceed to the light and turn left onto Promenade Boulevard.
Traveling SOUTH on I-540, take Exit 83 and turn left off of the exit, then turn left onto New Hope Road. Turn right onto Promenade Boulevard.

The Brides for the Cure Team Tent location will be in the Pinnacle Hills Promenade parking lot at the corner of Promenade Boulevard and Rife Medical/Crest. There is a stoplight at this intersection and our team area will be set up with white tents and chairs. This area is located on the Promenade Boulevard side of Dillards & the Texas Land and Cattle Restaurant.

Parking is available on a first come, first parked basis in the Pinnacle Hills Promenade Mall and in designated areas south of New Hope Road and the north side of the mall. We suggest that you park in the Dillards/Texas Land and Cattle parking areas OR across the street in the Best Buy parking lot. These lots are convenient to our Team Tent, as well as the start and finishing locations for the Race. We also suggest that you carpool with friends and family to ease the traveling and parking process.

Lane closures on the Race course will begin at 7:00 AM and slow traffic significantly. Please arrive EARLY! See the Race Morning itinerary for more information on what time to arrive. Please familiarize yourself with alternate travel routes in case of a late arrival.

Race Day Itinerary
To provide you with the best Race Day experience possible, please follow this Brides for the Cure Itinerary:

6:30 AM Arrive at Brides for the Cure Team Tent for T-Shirt and
Swag Bag Pick Up
6:30 AM Survivor Reunion Breakfast at Promenade Food Court*
6:45 AM Team Breakfast, provided by Rick's Bakery and your
Presenting Sponsors
7:15 AM Survivor Photo* through Komen
7:15 AM Team Photo at Brides for the Cure Team Tent
7:15 AM Elite Runners travel to Race Starting Line
7:30 AM Survivor Parade of Pink*
7:30 AM Elite Runners 5K Race Begins following Parade
7:30 AM Brides for the Cure travels to Race Starting Area
8:00 AM 5K Race/Walk Begins
10:00 AM Kids Dash in Komen Kandyland Zone for Kids 12
and Under
10:30 AM Prizes Awarded at Brides for the Cure Team Tent
You must be present to win!

*Survivors, please bring one co-survivor with you to these events to honor those who have walked through this journey with you. These are events coordinated by Komen, not Brides for the Cure. Please see the Komen website for more information.

What to Bring & What to Wear
Please wear your Brides for the Cure Team Tee for the Race Day! Remember to wear comfortable clothes for running or walking the 5K, including your tennis shoes.

You must wear your Race Number to participate in the 5K. Don't forget to bring it with you the morning of the Race!

*Pick up your Race gear on Friday, April 24th from 12-5:30 at Festivities in Springdale, located at 1374 Carley Road! (Located near the corner of HWY 412/Sunset and Carley Road.)

Have some fun with your Race attire! Are you a bride-to-be? Why not wear a veil, sash, or crown to show off your status? What about the groom, bridesmaids, moms & dads? Dress them up too with sashes, buttons, bouquets....anything to show our 'Wedding Party' style to the other 18,000 participants! Let's give 'em something to talk about!

Don't forget to bring your camera to document this exciting day with friends & family. Remember to keep your load light for the Race by leaving purses, bags, and other personal items in your vehicle.

Win Great Prizes
All Brides for the Cure prizes will be awarded by raffle-style drawings. Each prize will be displayed on tables under the Brides for the Cure Team Tent with registration slips. You are invited to register once for each prize that you are interested in winning. All team members are allowed to register for any prize that they choose.

There will be a very exciting prize given to the Bride with the largest 'Race Wedding Party' present at the time we begin to award prizes. Don't forget that you can still recruit your friends & family to join the team! Only Brides for the Cure team members will be counted in your 'Race Wedding Party.'

You MUST BE PRESENT to win all prizes at the time of the drawings.

**Thanks to Jenessa for all this wonderful info on her blog**

Max's senior fashion session

Hey Everybody!

Mere made so many friends when she was in the musical Joseph last month! One of her favorites was Max who happens to be a senior at McAuley High School in Joplin. Mere got some cool shoots and did some killer editing! Max is super cool and funky so she knew she could get a little crazy with the post-production. Here are a few of my favorites! Thanks to Max for letting us be ultra fashion-y with his portraits!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Kelleigh and Wayne tie the knot!

Hey everybody!

They've been on an extended cruise (how nice!) so I haven't put Kelliegh and Wayne's wedding images on the blog (except for the teaser I put up before they left), so it's about time already!!!

Kelleigh and Wes were married at the gorgeous Mildred B. Cooper chapel in Bella Vista, and celebrated some heritage with a very special reception at the Celtic Grill.

My favorite time of the day, as it usually is, was my special portrait time with the couple. Most of the photos below are from that. Check it out!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Win Jason Mraz tickets: Contest Details!!!

Hey everybody! Watch the video below...



How do you send a video? You can email it to me if it is under 15 megabytes, otherwise, just send me a link to where you put it on the web (youtube, vimeo, etc.) and I can see it there.

If you have any other questions about the contest, shoot me an email: dalebenfield@gmail.com
Otherwise, have fun making your quick (30 seconds or so) video about why you heart us. Winners announced Friday, so be quick!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Win Jason Mraz tickets!!!

Hey everybody!

Later today I'm posting a new contest...

The prize is sick: Jason Mraz concert tickets to see him with the Plain White T's in Little Rock one week from today!

Details of the contest: check back later today!

Good luck!
Dale

Adam and Heather's engagement session

Hey everybody!

A few days ago, we met Adam and Heather, who are getting married June 27th, 2009. For our J-27 brides, don't fear, we're not shooting another wedding that day. Adam and Heather knew we weren't available on their wedding date, but wanted us to photograph their engagement anyway.

Heather is friends with Laura Smiley, whose wedding we photographed last year. We love when our brides love us so much they sweet talk about us to their friends! Thanks Laura!!

Here are a few shots from their session. Enjoy!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Phoenix Kai Benfield

Hey everybody!

Here are a few more images from yesterday of my adorable new nephew, Phoenix Kai Benfield. He's a super sweetie, just like his older brother, Maddox!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Introducing... Pheonix Kai Benfield!

Hey everybody!

I have a new nephew!! Pheonix Kai Benfield was born a week ago today, and after some trouble at the hospital, was able to go home with his wonderful little family! Ellie, Mere, and I brought the camera when we went by this morning. I'll do a full post later, with plenty more images, and we have another shoot planned in a few days, so stay tuned for updates about this sweet little boy!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Courtney's Secret Session

Hey everybody!

I just realized I only put one single picture of Courtney's secret session - and there are so many more that deserve to be on the blog! So, here we go: the lovely Courtney!

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Sarah's Secret Session

Hey everybody!

Meredith has been shooting secret sessions left and right, and has a lot more on the calendar coming up soon. As you saw from Courtney's secret session recently, we've got some exciting stuff coming up soon! Mere's been working on her own secret session website! She's got a really cool background selected and is working on narrowing down gazillions of gorgeous images for the new site.

On that new site, we're going to have plenty of Sarah! Meredith and Sarah had such a fun time shooting, and you can easily tell in the images below.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Lexie and Jerad's engagement session

Hey everybody!
We've got a really awesome engagement shoot to show you. Lexie and Jerad are getting married in Cabo this October and Meredith and I are jazzed to be able to photograph such a gorgeous couple in such a gorgeous location. Look how amazing their engagement portraits came out!
Talk to you soon,
Dale

Candace's Urban Belly Session

Hey everybody!

Remember Candace? She's the adorable former student (7 years ago) of mine who was married to Mike back in 2007 (see the blog post from way back when). She and Mike are about to expand their cute little family! Any time now, they'll be having their baby, and I couldn't be more excited for them!

During a baby shower, her sister Sarah (who you'll see more of soon, but here's her engagement guestbook -the first one I ever did - also in 2007) gave her a 4 shoot package which includes our super popular Urban Belly session. What a sweet sis!!!

The shoot was a blast! We found a couple new locations and a couple trusties. Check out my favies below.

Talk to you soon,
Dale

Megan and Richie's engagement session

Hey everybody!

I've got some catching up to do on the blog. With all the fun non-wedding stuff we've had going on (Easter, Joseph, etc.) I've just been getting more and more behind with all the other fun shoots we've had going on lately. Rest assured, we'll get them all on here! It's a good thing I update this puppy every day!

We recently photographed Megan and Richie's engagement session in Little Rock (and surrounding areas) and got tons of fun shots. What I love most about this couple is they LAUGH!! LAUGH LAUGH LAUGH!! I could fill and entire engagement guestbook with pictures of them laughing - no exaggeration!

Check out a few of my favorite shots from the session below.

Talk to you soon,
Dale