benpancoast.com » Saint Joseph

Family Portraits on the Beach | St. Joseph Mi

Ben — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 00:46:15 +0000

This family portrait session on the beach has been a long time in the making, when Jodi first contacted me MONTHS ago to schedule her family photos in St. Joe we went back and forth trying to find just the right time to do the pictures. At one point we

almost even had to give up because our hectic schedules weren’t lining up but as luck would have it we found an open date, decided it was worth keeping the kids up late, and voila there we were on Tuesday shooting at Tiscornia Beach at 9pm at night!

Yes… you read that right, 9pm!!! As a parent the idea of kids at the beach at 9pm can be a bit scary but as a photographer one of the challenges we are constantly dealing with when shooting family pictures in the summer, is how incredibly long the days

are! Sunset doesn’t happen until 9:30pm or later during the longest days of the year and if you want great light for your pictures you either get up really early or you stay up really late. The other option of course is waiting a couple of months… the difference

between sunset in July and sunset in September is almost an hour and a half… for some kids that can be the difference between great shots and a series of melt downs… (my kids are especially good at this!) =) While having lots of experience with tantrums,

distractions, and stubbornness both as a parent and as a professional photographer makes it easier to go with the flow and get great shots, it is still definitely worth considering the time of year you’re going to do the pictures! Of course that being said, if

you’re like the Price family you can probably just go for it… these kids were pros the whole night, smiling, posing, hugging, running, you name it they were up for it and we all had a great time!! By the end of the night we were all sandy and tired but I for

one think it was well worth it, we captured some beautiful pictures and hopefully managed to preserve some wonderful memories forever! If you like these family pictures you can check out even more Family Portraits here!

Beach Engagement Photos: Gwen + Kam

Ben — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 18:12:07 +0000

Gwen and Kam flew in from NY recently to wrap up some last minute wedding planning and we decided to try and squeeze in a quick engagement shoot on the beach. While most people might associate NY with NYC these two are actually some sort of

environmental scientists… if it weren’t so late I’d remember exactly what type but suffice it to say they have cool jobs and Gwen is actually doing something very similar to what I’d always envisioned myself doing when I first went to college. I was slightly

envious when she was telling me about how she’s outdoors all the time and get’s to drive boats for “work” but then she pointed out that while that’s definitely cool, she ends up freezing outside during the winter. I guess you win some and you loose some.

The other thing I found out we have in common is a love for canoeing, my wife and I love going up to the Boundary Waters Wilderness Canoe area and we like to think we’re pretty tough when we do a 40 mile loop through the wilderness over the course

of 5 days but these guys do a race every year where they paddle 90 miles in 3 days!!!! I still haven’t decided if thats insanely cool or just plain insane. =) Regardless we had a great time sharing stories, talking about their upcoming wedding day and of course

taking pictures! It’s hard to beat spending an afternoon on the beach with a fun loving couple like Gwen and Kam!! If you liked these engagement photos check out even more engagement pictures here!

Engagement Photos at the Beach

Ben — Mon, 09 May 2011 03:30:35 +0000

You know a couple is going to be great to work with on their wedding day to work with when they manage to have this much fun at an engagement session on the beach in spite of the crazy weather! Last Sunday started out Sunny and 65º so we were going to try for some engagement photos at sunset but half way through the afternoon some rain showers popped up over the lake, the sky clouded over, and it dropped almost 15º in 20 minutes. Normally we would have just rescheduled a shoot like this for a later date but we were getting these

engagement photos done just 2 weeks before their wedding… yes that’s right, just 2 weeks! =) Needless to say we decided to hurry up and get the pictures in while we could and in the end I think the cloudy sky and breezy weather were perfect for the pictures! Many thanks to Nate for keeping Rachael warm and to Rachael for being up for anything!!! I can’t wait for the big day… oh wait that’s right I don’t have to, see you guys Saturday! =) Check back for pictures from the big day and leave a comment for Rachel and Nate if you love the pictures!

Lake Michigan Lighthouse at Midnight | Saint Joseph Mi

Ben — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 03:12:14 +0000

" alt="Saint Joseph Michigan Pier, Tiscornia Beach, Lake Michigan Lighthouse, Lighthouse at night" /> Just a fun picture of my friend and fellow photographer Dan Terpstra photographing the Saint Joseph Mi Lighthouse at midnight. It was a moonlit night but we brought a lantern with us just in case and ended up just messing around with long exposures and the lantern in between shots. It was unbelievably windy and wavy but the shutter was open so long that the lake looks flat so you’ll just have to take my word for it!

A beach wedding at Jean Klock Park | Benton Harbor Mi

Ben — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 08:19:05 +0000

This is a beach wedding that took place at Jean Klock Park in Benton Harbor Michigan. Jean Klock Park has recently been completely renovated thanks to the new Harbor Shores development in Benton Harbor and one of the the benefits is this amazing

pavilion right on the beach where you can get married. Now I am not typically one for having a wedding ceremony in a covered pavilion because I tend to think the backgrounds get too distracting and the light is blocked from the ceremony etc etc BUT I must

say the wedding pavilion at Jean Klock park is simply beautiful, it has high wood ceilings and lets a ton of light in from every direction! As long as you choose a photographer who has lenses that can handle the severe back lighting that occurs you’ll end

up with simple beautiful pictures of the wedding ceremony… Luckily my gear is up to the task and the result I think speak for themselves! Aside from the simple beauty of the location there are several great things about having a beach wedding at Jean

Klock Park, first it’s handicap accessible, second guests are “at the beach” BUT they’re in the shade which means they’re about 15-20 degree’s cooler than if they were sitting out on the beach in the sun, believe me this is no small thing in the middle of July in

Southwest Michigan!!! There’s also plenty of parking and since you’re on the beach you have almost unlimited possibilities for wedding photos on the beach at Jean Klock Park or near by Tiscornia Beach after the ceremony. Needless to say, if you’re looking

for a location close to or on the beach and are open to having your wedding in a pavilion, Jean Klock Park needs to be near the top of your list of locations to check out!! I’ll be posting more from this wedding soon since it was one of those picture perfect days

were you don’t even know where to begin blogging about it… until then, congratulations to Stu & Anna, what an amazing wedding, thanks for making it so much fun to be a part of your day!

A Beach Wedding in Saint Joseph Michigan

Ben — Fri, 22 Oct 2010 06:23:28 +0000

This is one of my favorite beach weddings of the summer, it was a simple beach ceremony with close family and friends. While the ceremony was intimate you could just tell how in love the couple was and we had a lot of fun taking pictures on and around

tiscornia beach after the wedding. One of my favorite shots of the entire summer is this photo of the bride and groom on the pier in Saint Joseph, there was a thunderstorm on the horizon and the light was just beautiful, as we finished up the pictures and boarded

the trolley the clouds opened up the rain came pouring down!! I love unique weddings like this, beautiful memories, beautiful photos, what more could you ask for!!! If you’re planning a simple beach wedding ceremony, definitely talk to Stella Event Design,

they put this ceremony together for the Bride and Groom and offer not only great advice on what beaches are perfect for ceremonies but where to get everything and how to have it delivered to the beach!

The Lighthouse at Sunset | Saint Joseph Mi

Ben — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:13:07 +0000

The wind was howling all day so the waves were really crashing into the lighthouse and pier head off of Tiscornia Beach in Saint Joseph Mi. tonight! I made it down there with my camera just in time for the sun to drop between the clouds and the horizon, we

had this incredible sunset for all of about 10 minutes and then the sun was gone! There were at least 15 photographers down along the lake documenting the sunset and trying to avoid getting the whipping sand in their gear or eyes. Definitely a good way to end the day!

The Veranda | a Wedding Reception in St. Joseph Mi

Ben — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 03:45:41 +0000

The Veranda at the Whitcomb is relatively new when it comes to wedding reception venues in Saint Joseph Mi but what it lacks in history it makes up for with location and ambiance. The Veranda is situated at the top of the bluff in downtown Saint Joseph

overlooking the Saint Joseph River with a wonderful view of Lake Michigan and the light house. While the views from the Veranda are beautiful the real beauty of the location from a wedding photography standpoint is the fact that you’re so close to the beach

that you don’t have to change your wedding day schedule around to accommodate taking pictures at the beach!! As you can tell, Lisa and Justin took full advantage of this by heading over to Tiscornia Beach for a few beautiful portraits after the ceremony

and we were still able to make it back in time for the end of the cocktail hour! Ok so obviously it’a great location but what about the venue itself? I think it is best described as the perfect blank slate for any wedding. It’s close to everything, it has elegant

columns, a ceiling that’s pre-rigged for whatever sort of lighting or decoration you choose, it’s color scheme will work with any color you can image, and it is wide open so there’s always great light and a bit of a breeze! If you’re in the market for a great

wedding venue close to lake Michigan with amazing views and and nearly unlimited flexibility and potential the Veranda is quite possibly the place for you! Many thanks to all the great vendors who came together to make this day a huge success: Stella Event

Design, Kasl, ProShow, All Star Productions, Beikmann Associates, CK Catering and of course the Rockin band who not only got this party started but kept it going all night long!! I think we’d all agree that Lisa & Justin were a fabulous couple to work with and I certainly wish you guys all the best going forward, congratulations to you both!!!