New website is online

Chances are, if you are viewing this blog post, then you are already aware of our new and hopefully improved website.

Our new site went "live" online yesterday. Still working out some bugs and issues with my horrible spelling but it is a much needed improvement over the old site. Too darn bad it will be obsolete in a week or two. Guess I better start working on a new, new website. Please check it out if you have a couple minutes to burn at work or home or from your "I-something" (pod, pad, phone). www.mirage-photo.com

Don't have a minute, no worries. At least take a second to check out Amanda and Jason's engagement photo. If you think the balloons are fun, wait until you see the session we shot at a carnival later that week. Their wedding is going to be off the chart on a coolness factor. I almost typed uber cool but stopped myself. Only 132 days to go, right Amanda? Can't wait.

Your response has been phenominal, thank you!!

Memphis is filling up fast. We are going to be busy by the looks of things. We are going to consider an extra day of shooting if the numbers keep increasing. That would put us in Memphis shooting on the 12th, 13th, and 14th. We will be announcing our Chicago dates in the very near future. Check out Heather and Will from their recent Windy City Shoot.

Wanna get away?

We are going to be shooting in Memphis on July 12th and 13th. If you are engaged and want some kickbutt engagement pics, a soon-to-be senior that wants completely different portraits than everyone else, or a bride that wants to break out her dress again and do some "un-bridaled" photography, let us kn...ow so we can book your session. How cool would it be to do a family portrait on the Memphis trolleys? Darn cool, check out our Memphis Engagement Video if you are wondering what is possible in Memphis.

Tennessee not your cup off tea? We are scheduling sessions in Chicago, Phoenix, and Las Vegas in the very near future. Drop us a line with your ideas and we will do our best to make it happen.











P.S. - It looks like the new website could be online as early as this weekend. Fingers crossed.

America's Loss, Japan's Gain....

My friend Jaana was in town a few weeks ago and we managed to squeeze in a quick shoot while she was home. She is now back in Okinawa and I am sure she is being missed by her family still her in the states. Maybe this will help them keep her a little closer....

Can you believe she is a new mom? People with good genes suck for making the rest of us look lazy. It looks like it will be a couple years before we can work together again unless I can find me a big name corporate sponsor to send me to Japan for some work. Mirage Photo will gladly do a destination wedding in Japan if anyone is interested. (hey Jaana, if we can manage that I will be certain to schedule some time with you for your "super samurai meets sexy geisha" session so start booking me some weddings over there... jeesh, besides... it is high time that we get your husband doing some pictures too.)

On a few separate notes...

New website coming soon (very soon... no kidding... like next week), new promo coming right after the weekend that can earn everyone some cold hard cash, and some information to be released on where we are going to be so you can schedule your engagement pictures, family photos, and senior pictures in a cool destination spot. Think Vegas, New Orleans, Memphis, KC, Destin FL.... maybe even more of a tropical locale. Haven't you always wanted pictures somewhere other than the arch grounds? We are about to make that happen for you.

More to come......stay tuned.

We're Back Baby!

After two months of being blog free and recovering from what feels like a whirlwind tour of the United States, technically just Las Vegas and Kansas City, we are back and right smack dab in the heart of wedding season. So what's new you ask?? Maybe you didn't quite feel comfortable asking such a personal question, well fortunately for you, I am just going to tell you what's been going on. Lots of stuff... I mean that, lot's and lot's of stuff.

Since we last talked, I bought a fancy digital scale that is apparently broken because it adds like 50 pounds to everything it weighs. Thank goodness I kept the receipt on that piece of &%*%. I think I will return it today when I get done at the gym. They must buy their weighing devices at the same popular retail outlet where I shop because their stinkin' scale is experiencing the same "glitch" as the one I am going to return. I should probably issue a strongly worded letter to that company. There is no way they are aware of the lies the products are capabable of producing. Someone is going to get their feelings hurt unless I take a stand. Whew.. lots to do today.

In addition to the never ending battle with my shrinking wardrobe (faulty dryer) I have been working on some new aspects for the business. We are going to roll out our new website and I think it looks HOT. At least everyone will get to see some new pictures that aren't 3 years old. I am almost embarrassed by our current site. It is so outdated... you know it's not good when you refer people to your website by apologizing to them. "Please don't judge us by our current work because we are SOOOO much better now." Does not really instill a sense of confidence, does it?

We have just put the finishing touches on our Bridal Show display. I will post a picture of it on one of my upcoming blogs. It was an absolute labor of love and (aside from a couple minor tweaks) I am very happy with how it looks. Thanks to some new slideshow software, a giant flat screen monitor and a kickass neon sign, we are ready to set up for any shows that come our way. Now that I think of it, we could even set up at a reception and run a show of engagement pictures for guests... damn, that is a great idea... I am glad this will be down in writing so I can look back on it a few months from now and think "why the hell didn't I ever do that". Brilliant, I am going to have to start leaving messages to myself in future posts. The new blog title, MIRAGE PHOTO's place to remind themselves of crap they should be doing to improve their business but decided to just leave it out here so other photographers can borrow their brilliant ideas and put them in place before we get a chance to implement them and be extremely successful. Too wordy??

After years of being a complete slacker when posting new images to the website and blog I am really (sincerely) (I mean it) (no kidding) going to start posting images that we like from the sessions we shoot. In fact, I am going to start today. Are you ready??

These are some of the shots we got over the weekend at Andrea and Craig's wedding. After two days of near 70degree weather, they got handed a 35degree wedding day with a slight chance of snow and a 100% chance of having an uncomfortable bridal party. Everyone made up for the weather by being rockstars and letting us do whatever we wanted to do with them. They rocked it so much it was nearly impossible to select just a few pictures to post. I wanted to post the entire wedding but Samantha said "absolutely not".... party-pooper. Thanks to Andrea and Craig for allowing us into their biggest day and a special thanks to everyone that braved the wind, drizzle, and near freezing temperatures to allow us to capture some amazing photos.

Don't ya just love it when a groom tears up after seeing his beautiful bride?


Surviving the elements.....






Usually the "cool groomsman shots" require placement and prompting, not these guys.


Marines... they just love having their picture taken. Does the military train you to have that stare and the "I could end your life with my pinky finger" smirk??


Hotness.


More Hotness.


Bride down...


Still down... (keeping in mind... it's 35degrees)


We promise not to force any bride to hang out in alleys unless they really really want to do it. Andrea made us do it. Seriously, are you gonna anger a Marine that can kill you with his little finger on his wedding day?? I thought not.


Do you know what's better than roses on a piano? (my second most favorite old joke of all time, my apologies. Someday I will tell you my favorite)


Good Lord, I am exhausted. It's no wonder photographers only blog once a year.
More to come, hang in there.

Vote till it hurts....

Dear Friends, Family, Enemies, Strangers, Friends of Friends, Family of Complete Strangers, even the Strange Friends of Enemies of Mirage Photo,

We could really use your help. We are currently competing to be St. Louis’ favorite wedding photographer on the Fox2 News Hot List of area businesses. What does that mean for us?? Probably the fame and fortune that we have not really worked to earn but so richly deserve. Something for nothing, that’s what we are asking for. This is your opportunity to give, give and give some more so don’t pass up this once in a lifetime chance to assist us.

So, right about now, you are probably asking, what’s in this for me??? NOTHING, absolutely nothing. Hmm… to good to be true you say? Absolutely not. I personally guarantee that there is zero benefit to helping us… WHAT, too hard to believe?!? Vote today and we will throw the possibility of additional unwanted e-mails and potential SPAM. Someone stop me, we cannot keep giving like this. You need more, fine… you will also receive our undying and eternal gratitude. How could you say no? Not only do you get to waste a few minutes at work (priceless) you will also have the knowledge that once we are rich and famous throughout the land (possibly the world) we can leave our current lifestyles behind and never, ever bother you again with such trivial things.

To capitalize on this once in a lifetime offer, simply go to http://fox2now.com/hotlist, more than likely go through some horrible and laborious registration process, find Mirage Photo by either using the search area or finding us under the list of wedding vendors, then vote. It is just that simple. You can only vote once. Feel free to forward this to absolutely everyone you know. There is nothing like the satisfaction of helping a complete stranger become successful so please don’t deprive your friends and family from that opportunity.

Sincerely Tongue in Cheek,
Your friends at Mirage Photo

www.mirage-photo.com
Shawn Traman
Mirage Photo, L.L.C.

And now for a brief message from our sponsor "Cartoon Network"

DON'T MAKE ME LOOK FAT DAMMIT...


So often thought, so seldom said... unless you are a wedding photographer. We are supposed to take our magical photoshop wands and put on the "skinny" lens to accomplish the impossible. Thanks for putting that kind of pressure on our careers when you could have simply put down the damn ding dong (ho-ho, Twinkies, snicker ice cream bar) and made yourself look thinner. In an effort to sound much less of a douche, I am on your side of the buffet table... I too am fat. And I have decided to take a stand. I am going to loose weight and become a better person..... or at least a smaller person. So if you see me at a wedding, snapping pictures with one hand and sampling your cake icing with the other, slap me... I mean it. Remove the two cheeseburgers that I have hidden in my camera bag and throw them at me. I will probably parry with the large order of fries that is stealthily placed behind my chocolate milkshake but by God, give it your best shot.

I had the privilege of dining with some lovely folks at a dinner gala the other evening and lovely Amanda doodled me a wonderful drawing of me taking photos. All I asked was "don't make me look fat" and somewhere inside my fat swollen head I was thinking... "too late chubby" so I calmly put down my neighbor's desert and got back to work. Here is the artist rendering of the event and as you can see, she was nice enough to not make me look fat. (and gave me good hair, which was my other vane request) By now you're thinking, dude's got some issues. Well, maybe I do but I am going to do something about it.... My appointment with Sy Sperling and the hair club for men is next week. The next time you see me, it's long locks of hair around a hallow sunken face of a starving man.... Thank you VANITY for all you have given me.