CMD Photography: Blog

Mr. & Mrs. Parker

Sun, 27 Sep 2020 20:16:55 GMT

What an amazing day this was for Mr. & Mrs. Parker! It was such an honor to document my cousin's wedding. Not only did I get to witness Claire and Ian's amazing love for each other, but they also asked Wyatt to be a part of their big day. He was in heaven hanging out with a bunch of Iowa State wrestlers and was tickled to be included. I am just amazed by their photos - they couldn't take a bad photo if they tried. I hope you enjoy!

Mr. & Mrs. Jensen

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 15:10:58 GMT

Vanessa and Ryan, what an honor it was to be a part of your special day. Hopefully you will always look at these photos and remember what a wonderful day your wedding was. Congrats on joining your families together!

Kelsey & Kyle's Big Day

Sun, 25 Aug 2019 15:36:15 GMT

I loved spending this beautiful July day with Kelsey and Kyle. A few sprinkles and a bit of wind couldn't dampen their day. Thanks for asking me to be a part of it! Enjoy the wedding preview.

Mr. & Mrs. Schmid

Sun, 08 Jul 2018 02:16:31 GMT

I love documenting a beautiful wedding day, but it's even more special when it is for one of your sweet friends. Katie, what an honor it was to spend the day with you and Brandon. I have never seen a groom so emotional as his beautiful bride walked down the isle. What a wonderful thing to witness. Although you two were the world's fastest kissers, I miraculously still captured your first kiss. Phew! Enjoy this peek from your special day.

Also, a big thank you to Mariah Logan for being my wonderful second shooter!

Mr. & Mrs. Zillgitt

Sun, 06 Nov 2016 16:53:13 GMT

We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day for this gorgeous outdoor wedding. What an honor it was to capture Shawn & Kelsea's day!

Also, a huge shout out to Brittany Kruger with Brittany Jo Photography for second shooting with me.

Mr. & Mrs. Foster

Sun, 31 Jul 2016 00:04:56 GMT

On July 3rd, my cousin Bonnie married the man of her dreams, Mr. Mark Foster. It has been great to watch their relationship over the last couple years and to watch them love my boys whenever we are together.

It was such an honor to travel to her hometown to capture their big day. She was a stunning bride and we made the best of the crummy weather we were presented with. As you will see below, a little (ok a LOT of rain) didn't rain on our parade. Enjoy!

My uncle made this mirror as a wedding present for my aunt, so it was perfect that Bonnie took her first look at herself in her wedding dress in that very mirror. What a beautiful moment.

Bonnie's parents built a lake on their property so it was a perfect setting for photos - rain or shine!

These umbrellas were the perfect addition for our photos (and kept everyone dry).

Of course right as we were pulling up for their first look, it started POURING. Not just a little rain, but a downpour. This was the ONLY spot in the park that had enough tree coverage that we wouldn't get soaked. We took advantage of our umbrellas and made it the most perfect first look.

Bonnie and Mark were super brave to have 10 kids under 11 in the wedding (2 of which were mine, and 3 were my nephews). But the kids did amazing!

The reception was held at Barn on the Ridge and was a beautiful setting for the festivities.

We all danced the night away...

...and ended the evening with a fireworks show and a sparkler exit. Very fitting for a July 3rd wedding.

What a beautiful day for this beautiful couple. I wish you all the happiness in the world!

Love - Courtney

Mr. & Mrs. Bruning

Tue, 10 May 2016 02:19:26 GMT

What a special day it was for Nicole & John and I couldn't have been more excited to be there to document it. The pearls Nicole wore were the same pearls her late mother wore on her wedding day, so it was such a special moment as she put them on.

We had a beautiful day and the rain cleared off just in time for their first look. There was a bit of wind but used it to our advantage. Here's just a peek into their special day! Enjoy!

A special thanks to Kailey Tennessen Photography for second shooting this gorgeous day with me.

-Courtney

Mr. & Mrs. VanHill

Tue, 26 Apr 2016 02:43:12 GMT

It was such an honor to capture Ashley & Mike's wedding day. While it was only 35 degrees and 30+ mile per hour wind, we made the best of it and everyone was such a great sport to brave the weather for outdoor shots.

Thanks for allowing me to document your special day. Enjoy the preview photos and I can't wait to share the rest as soon as they are edited.

-Courtney

Mr. & Mrs. Leesman

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 04:13:04 GMT

When my cousin Nikki asked if I would be her photographer for her big day, I was super honored. She was such a laid back bride and totally went with the flow. It was a CRAZY hot day and we were sweating bullets during photos, but you would never know from these images and they were great sports. I have to thank my mom for being my assistant that day which included duties of crazy golf cart driver and sweat dabber.

Nikki and Scott, it was an honor to capture your day. Enjoy your preview.

Mr. & Mrs. Roth

Sat, 07 Nov 2015 19:35:25 GMT

What a beautiful wedding day in a beautiful location with a beautiful couple. Thanks for letting me capture your special day, Amanda & Logan!

Mr. & Mrs. Crosby

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 03:19:23 GMT

What an amazing day spent with Brett & Stacy and I loved all the detail they included in their day. The Orpheum theater was the location of their date so it only made sense that we do a couple photos there. They even rented the Sioux Falls Trolley so of course we had to take advantage of it. Here's a peek into the beautiful day!

Mr. & Mrs. Begeman

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 03:01:40 GMT

It was the hottest day of the summer, but with such a beautiful couple that was willing to do whatever needed to get great photos, we had an amazing day. Here are some of my favorites. Enjoy!

Thank you Mitch & Katy for allowing me to document your day. Cheers to a lifetime of happiness! - Courtney

Welcome 2014!

Mon, 13 Jan 2014 03:14:06 GMT

Wow, what a successful year 2013 was for CMD Photography! I shot 109 different sessions from a total of 69 separate clients - more than I EVER dreamed was possible. Nothing short of phenomenal in my opinion.

As most of you know photography started as a hobby and quickly transitioned into what is a thriving business. All the while I have still kept a full time job - which isn't changing. However, I did change jobs recently (I'm now the Marketing Director for Sanford Profile), but my photo business still remains.

That said, I didn't do the best job balancing my role as a mama/wife (first and foremost) with my full time job, teaching Zumba and being a photographer. I have promised my husband and boys that this year I would do better and in order to do so, I need to make a few changes. But I’m excited to see where this takes me!

In order to spend more time enjoying the family, I will be cutting down the number of sessions I take on. If you are a current client, this is where you will see the largest change in my business and here are the details:

I will choose two weekends a month for photo sessions.
The session times I have available will be shown on my Google Calendar.
I will book time slots for my Milestone and Mini Milestone Baby clients first. After that I will open bookings to my current clients and if I have not filled the spots, I will then take on new clients.

Each available time slot will read: VACANT SESSION
Once you see the available sessions, you will email [email protected] with your top 3 date/time requests and if you would like to pay the retainer via PayPal invoice or check. (My Facebook Messaging feature has been disabled to allow all emails to come to one place.)

o In order to secure your spot, you will be asked to pay a non-refunable retainer of $75.00. You can pay this via a PayPal invoice (you will incur a small convenience/processing fee) or you can mail me a check. Either option is fine, but your method of desired payment must be included in your email. (If you are part of the Milestone Package, this does not apply to your appointments after the initial retainer is paid.)

I will fill the sessions in the order in which emails are received (after I have booked my Milestone & Mini Milestone clients). The time you are given will then read: TENTATIVE Jane Doe Session.
Once your retainer payment is received, your booking is secure and will read: Jane Doe Session. If your payment is not received within 5 days from my email confirming your tentative time slot, your session time will become VACANT again and other clients will be booked during that time.

o If a session needs to be rescheduled, I must be notified 24 hours prior to the session or you will not be rescheduled. (This will be evaluated on a case by case basis and will have special circumstances - ie: weather and illness.)

o Once all sessions are full, your name will go on a waiting list and you will be contacted if a session is cancelled.

A few additional notes for everyone to be aware of:

Due to a full time job, my turn around time will remain 4-5 weeks out. I do my best to turn all images around in that amount of time, but I do spend time on each and every photo to make them perfect, so I don't rush through editing. If the timeline will exceed this time frame, I will let you know before your session in case you choose to not participate. If that is the case, I will refund the retainer. (This will be the ONLY circumstance for refunding.)
I am updating my print release policy. You will still be given all digital files, but you WILL NOT be given permission to print at big box stores like Walmart, Walgreens, Target, etc. My editing is color calibrated to professional printers and I cannot guarantee the quality once the digital files are turned over. That said, I highly recommend printing through my website or mpix.com for professional quality prints that are color accurate.
I will continue to post Facebook images but will narrow the number of images shown to 8-10 of my favorite. All of your 18-22 digital images will be given to you in your gallery. This change will allow me to spend more time on editing vs saving files for Facebook.
Lastly, please make sure you view my website for 2014 pricing updates.

Thank you for being such amazing CMD Photography clients. I look forward to working with you in 2014!

Hunter's Senior Session

Sun, 15 Dec 2013 06:33:44 GMT

It was such an honor to photograph Hunter for her Senior Pictures. It was chilly that day and we were fighting rain, but she was such a trooper. She was down for anything I threw at her and did it all with a smile. Thanks for traveling to Sioux Falls to allow me to be your photographer. Enjoy these photos and the rest of your Senior Year!

M & D are Married

Sun, 01 Dec 2013 20:26:13 GMT

What a wonderful weekend spent in my hometown photographing this beautiful couple. I've known Maggie since she was a little girl (our parents were friends) and we were sorority sisters in college, so I was honored when she asked me to photograph her big day. She has patiently been waiting on her wedding day preview, so without further adieu...

Maggie's beautiful church was destroyed by the devastating tornado that struck Joplin in May 2011. They have not yet completed the rebuild so the couple was married is the temporary church location, but the feeling of love in the room was just beautiful. Maggie and David didn't see each other before the wedding so it was an honor to catch David's first glance as she walked down the isle.

After the wedding we headed downtown to grab some shots of the beautiful couple and of course the group shots too. The cross in the background of this image below was the only thing from Maggie's old church that was left standing after the tornado. It was a must that we stop there and take a few photos in front of this gorgeous cross.

I was just SO excited when Maggie told me she was willing to step away from the reception for 20 minutes to grab a couple sunset photos. And man, I am so glad we did.

We then finished off the evening by dancing the night away!

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Grote. I loved being a part of your special day. Hopefully these images help you remember what a wonderful day it was!

Always,

Courtney

McLellan Maternity

Sun, 06 Oct 2013 17:52:28 GMT

What a beautiful summer evening spent this these sweet parents-to-be. Their lil' man was due on my birthday (this coming Tuesday), but he arrived a little early. So he's already here before I finished their maternity session...but, the photos are still beautiful and this mama was sure glowing. I can't wait to photograph their lil' man next weekend!

Olive - 3 Months

Sun, 06 Oct 2013 14:34:12 GMT

This was the fastest photo shoot I have ever done. With a thunderstorm quickly approaching we busted out this beautiful session in just about 20 minutes. I was amazed with how many great shots we got in such a short amount of time. Olive is just beautiful and I can't wait to continue to watch her grown this year!

Kallen's Cake Smash

Sun, 29 Sep 2013 13:27:50 GMT

Kallen's mama has been my hair dresser (and more importantly my friend) since I moved to Sioux Falls. I was honored when she asked me to take Kallen's photos this year. What a doll he has grown into! Thanks for letting me share in Kallen's first year!

Milestone Baby - Quinn Marie

Sat, 28 Sep 2013 03:20:12 GMT

I am so proud to say that Miss Quinn Marie was my very first "official" Milestone Baby. Her parents took a leap of faith on my photography skills and I am so glad they did. I just loved watching this peanut grow over the past year and hopefully I am invited to photographer her in the years to come. What a fun year we had!

Here's a little peak at just how much she has grown!

And now to showcase her cake smash session. It was such a fun session!

Harper & Liam

Thu, 26 Sep 2013 02:23:35 GMT

These two kept me on my toes, but every minute was worth it when you look at the beautiful photos we captured. What adorable children you have Nathan and Megan! Thanks for choosing me to be your photographer!

Briana - Brandon Valley Senior 2014

Sat, 21 Sep 2013 17:43:33 GMT

I can't wait to share this session of such a beautiful girl. Thank you for taking a leap of faith with me and letting me capture photos for one of the most important years of your life. You were a joy to work with!

The Kortemeyer Kids

Sat, 21 Sep 2013 13:06:07 GMT

What a fun story about how I know these special kids. Their mama and I met in the Ultrasound waiting room when we were both pregnant. (I was pregnant with my youngest and she was pregnant with the twins.) Since Colt was an at risk pregnancy I had to have many ultrasounds (every other day during the last 6 weeks) and it seemed like every time I was there, Megan was there too checking on the twins. Our kiddos ended up being born only three days apart and then we lost touch.

But due to this wonderful thing called Facebook, Megan found my photography page and asked me to photograph her kids. (When we knew each other while pregnant, I hadn't taken up photography yet, so it was just a fluke thing that we were reconnected.) Who would've thought a waiting room friendship would result in such cute photos! :)

JoJo is 1.

Sun, 15 Sep 2013 17:39:49 GMT

This family holds a special place in my heart. I used to babysit "Big Joe" back in my hometown, so it was such an honor to photograph "Baby Joe" for this first year of his life. I can't wait to watch this family grown. Love you all!

Ella's Cake Smash

Sun, 08 Sep 2013 20:01:14 GMT

This lil' doll turned one so we did a family and cake smash session. And what fun we had!

Sweet Mallorie

Thu, 05 Sep 2013 03:22:37 GMT

I just love this baby's sweet, chubby cheeks. She is such a beauty and I am honored to have her in my Mini Milestone Baby Club. Her 6 Month session will be here before I know it.

Katie & Tyler

Sat, 31 Aug 2013 19:40:28 GMT

This was one of my most favorite sessions to date, so why not let it be my first blog post? Katie and Tyler are the perfect couple and I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent with them - and I can't wait to photograph their wedding next August!

Week 19 - Reminders

Sun, 12 May 2013 15:35:24 GMT

Week 19
Theme: Reminders

While Wyatt was reading his Bible before bed, I grabbed my camera to capture the moment. It was perfect reminder for me that Mike and I are doing something right. We are instilling the importance of God in our lives and Wyatt is choosing to read his Bible stories before bed rather than any other book on his bookshelf. This brought tears of joy to my eyes.