benpancoast.com » Southwest Michigan

A Blue Dress Barn Wedding: Scott + Jessie

Ben — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 06:31:45 +0000

The Blue Dress Barn is an authentic barn thats been converted into a wedding ceremony and reception site in Southwest Michigan. While there are several unique wedding reception venues in the area the Blue Dress Barn has to be at the top of a short list of truly one of a kind venues that our area has to offer to brides looking for a country wedding. Scott and Jessie choose the

venue for exactly that reason and while the day may look BEAUTIFUL, it started out with blowing winds and driving rain… remarkably neither bride or groom let the weather phase them as you can see here they were rewarded with a beautiful sunny afternoon and what ultimately ended up being the perfect day for a wedding reception in the Blue Dress Barn! If you’re planning

an outdoor ceremony and worried about the weather you have to be ready for anything BUT for the most part the weather here tends to blow through rather quickly and if you need/want to you can always speed things up or post pone them just a bit to fit your ceremony in. Of course a venue like The Blue Dress Barn would also give you the option of doing the ceremony inside as well

but I’ve yet to have to photograph a ceremony inside at the Barn! While the day may have started a bit rough weather wise we couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful finish for either the evening or the pictures!! Congratulations to the very lucky couple!

a Wedding at Willow Harbor Vineyards

Ben — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 04:12:49 +0000

When Jake and Amanda planned their beautiful vineyard wedding at Willow Harbor Vineyards in Three Oaks Michigan I’m sure they didn’t envision a rainy wedding day and yet thats exactly how the day started. We began by dodging rain drops in New Buffalo where the bride had her hair and makeup done, then we drove to Willow Harbor to get ready in the charming bridal suite. By the time the bride was dressed the rain

had stopped and while it still looked threatening we decided to do the bride and grooms first look in one of the vineyards which is the perfect setting for a reveal. From there we took off for weko beach in Bridgman Mi for wedding photos with the wedding party. Then it was back to Willow Harbor where the bride rode up to the ceremony in a horse drawn carriage. The ceremony was beautiful and while the skies remained

overcast the rain stayed away and we ended up with an absolutely gorgeous evening for the tented wedding reception. From a photographers stand point Willow Harbor offers a bride and groom lost of flexibility when it comes to locations for gorgeous wedding pictures, whether you do them in the vineyards, the barn, or head to a nearby beach you simply can’t go wrong! Of course it helps to have a go with the flow approach and the incredible team at Stella Event Design on hand to make sure you’re ready for anything! If you’re planning on getting married and looking for an outdoor wedding or reception venue Willow Harbor should definitely be on you list of places to check out! Congratulations Amanda and Jake, and thanks for giving us the privilege of being a part of such a special day!!

Lake Michigan Engagement Photos

Ben — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:57:44 +0000

Just a few of our favorite pictures from a beautiful Lake Michigan engagement session this summer, we’ve shot a ton of them and can’t wait to share more! This one took place in Pallisades Park near Covert Mi which has to be one of the coolest little lakeside neighborhoods I’ve ever shot in! All in all a perfect evening for engagement photos at sunset on the beach!
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" alt="Engagement photos on Lake Michigan beach." />
" alt="Engagement photos on the beach by lake Michigan" />
" alt="Engagement photos on the beach by lake Michigan" />

A Wedding at Lake Bluff Inn & Suites | South Haven MI

Ben — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 05:33:35 +0000

What a beautiful beach wedding in South Haven Michigan. In spite of the rain Kyle & Loren couldn’t stop smiling all day and finally when the rain stopped for the reception they ended up with an incredibly beautiful evening for their wedding reception at Lake Bluff Inn & Suites. While it can be a bit tricky to shoot an outdoor wedding in the rain most professional photographers will

have gear that can withstand everything other than a downpour so it really just comes down to whether the bride and groom are up for getting a bit damp. Lucky for me Kyle & Loren just went with the flow as did their family and friends, no one seemed to mind the drizzle and it certainly did not dampen the mood one bit! We ended up taking pictures at Packard Park Beach where the ceremony was before heading over to the South Pier in South Haven and finally ended up at Lake Bluff Inn & Suites for the wedding reception. It ended up being a perfect evening and the bride and groom celebrated with their friends and family by setting of sky lanterns which were absolutely beautiful to watch, I think everyone would have agreed that it was the perfect way to end the wedding day! Congratulations to the very happy couple!

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!

Gull Lake Country Club | Wedding Photography

Ben — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 03:05:51 +0000

Gull Lake Country club has to be one of the most beautiful reception venues for winter wedding photography in all of Southwest Michigan and as of right now it’s definitely my favorite! What makes Gull Lake Country Club such a great reception venue for wedding photographers?

Plain and simple, it’s a beautiful location with an incredible view of Gull lake, and it’s proximity to Kalamazoo and the surrounding areas make it easy to get a variety of images without having to spend a whole lot of time traveling! I’ve shot several weddings here but Alex and Jessica’s

wedding was the first winter wedding I’ve had a chance to be a part of there and I think the froozen lake and falling snow made the wedding pictures even more magical than they would have been otherwise! All in all this was an amazing wedding from start to finish and I just have to

say thank you to the bride and groom for alowing me to be a part of their big day and especially for being such wonderful subjects and braving the cold weather for all those outdoor portraits!!

Love Alex & Jessica’s reception pictures? Check out their wedding pictures here!

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!

Engagement Photos | New Buffalo Mi

Ben — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 02:38:07 +0000

This was the first time I’d ever shot engagement photos on the Beach in New Buffalo Michigan and I was pleasantly surprised at just how picturesque their beach and pier are… of course a perfect sunset doesn’t hurt!!! Megan and Anthony were up for anything and we had a great

time in spite of the very chilly weather! If you’re considering having your engagement photos done on the beach in New Buffalo I’d recommend starting on the dunes while you’ve still got light and then finishing up out on the pier/jetty so you can take advantage the changing sky as the light fades!

Family Portraits on the Beach | Stevensville Mi

Ben — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 06:28:14 +0000

You’ve just got to love family portraits on the beach, especially when the kids are this adorable and the family is laid back and up for just about anything! The focus here was definitely on the kids but we managed to squeeze in a couple of quick family shots and I love how everything turned out! I typically try to do family portraits on either early in the morning or late in the evening but these were right in the middle

of the day so we tried to keep the subjects with their backs to the sun, luckily there was enough light bouncing off the sand to create a bit of fill light and we just let the background blow out a bit… of course shooting with the 135 f2.0 lens makes flare and back lighting a whole lot easier to deal with!! =)