Dave placed fourth in the Creative Portrait category for this photo of Mikaela & Olnick through the fog in Langdon, N.D. The judges said, “The best portraits incorporate creativity with an accurate portrayal of the subjects. This image does this beautifully, and simply.”
The judges felt the clean composition of this top 20 Humor photo by Dave really enhanced the oddity of the situation.
The judges had this to say about Britta’s eighth-place Humor photo, “Almost a weather photograph, but the expression of the groom’s face makes this a winner. You never know when a prize-winning picture will happen. You must be on your game all of the time.”
A muddy high heel earned Britta a top 20 place in the Weather category.
This first-place image looks like a practical joke but is actually the preparation for a group photo. The groom, on the left, and his ushers are attempting to climb onto a missile-shaped monument in St. Paul’s popular Como Park. Figuring the process would be as interesting as the final pose, Britta snapped the boisterous party launching their assault.
Britta placed second with this photo of a bride just having fun. The judges said, “The smoky sparklers and dramatic background make for a great contrast to the bride’s radiant expression. A moment of pure bliss within an atmospheric tableau creates a lovely image. Dramatic lighting and peak emotion combined with clean composition come together perfectly.”
The judges liked Dave’s sixth place Weather photo because of “…great composition and moment but what really made it stand out was the perspective. The photographer used a great angle from on top of the tractor looking down at the wedding party riding down a muddy road in the rain.”
This funny moment earned Dave a place in the top ten of the Toasting category.
This photo of Britta’s finished in the top ten of Kids (Being Kids).
Britta placed second in the Cake Cutting category with this photo of the groom getting cleaned off.
A judge said this of Britta’s sixth place photo in the Silhouettes and Shadows category, “The chiaroscuro effect of the silhouettes and the division of the parties, each interacting in their own time and space, create a lovely composition.”
A judge had this to say about Britta’s third-place Humor photo, “This fantastic image quickly rose to the top. The rock almost looks artificial (out of a star trek set). The [groomsman's] expression and body are fantastic as is the bride’s holding her bouquet and beverage. Great moment and well composed. I assume the subjects were taking a break from a portrait session but the photographer stayed on task. Excellent job!”
Britta scored in the top ten in the Great Natural Light category with this photo. One judge said, “Beautiful light really makes this photo. The black background makes the subject pop – nice exposure! And the bride’s hands are beautiful.”
Another top twenty photo for Britta, this time in the Kids (Being Kids) category. “Love the spontaneity of this image with the two girls that are really enjoying themselves. Great stopped action with one of the girl’s ponytails flowing in the air,” said a judge.
This photo of Dave’s placed in the Ceremony category. One judge said, “…you can feel his emotion as he’s seemingly in thought about how his life is about to change. The way this photo is framed with the priest on the right makes this work.”
Dave placed in the top-ten with this photo of Mandi in the Getting Ready category. A judge said, “There were quite a few photographs of brides fixing their veils, but this one was different from the others. The lady looking through the door peephole adds an extra element to the photograph. I guess every photographer studies body language — this photograph has great body language.
Britta’s great photo of Gwen before the ceremony placed high in the Weather category. The judges particularly liked the framing and the light.
We love photographing kids at weddings and Britta had this photo place in the Kids (Being Kids) category.
The judges summed up Britta’s sixth-place Toasting photo quite well: “A fleeting moment in time. This is a nice heads up by the photographer to capture this crying bride. The fact that the black background is clean and contrasts well with the white dress helps tremendously especially in a black and white photo.”
Britta’s photo of Stacey singing a duet with the DJ placed in the top ten of the Musicians & DJs category. A judge simply said, “This picture has soul.”
This photo of a bridesmaid fixing the bride’s dress earned Britta another top-ten place in the Humor category.
Dave placed second in the Toasting category with this photo of a bride toasting after the ceremony. One judge said, “Isolated, solitary moment with good use of light.”
Britta’s photo of the groom doing shots after the dance is funky, fun and placed seventh in the Food & Drinks category. “I appreciate we don’t see anyone’s faces. A fun moment that could only happen at Zorbaz,” said a judge.
Britta used a great location and beautiful ladies to get this awesome ninth-place Creative Portrait near Goodridge, Minn.
One judge said of Britta’s tenth-place Details photo, “A young and an old woman showing affection for a man. In some ways it’s an image of the young person becoming the old person in time.”
Dave’s photo of a the groom victoriously charging up to the altar to see his bride for the first time placed in the top 20.
“Just great light…love the contrast between the dark and the light and the whole frame is simple and complete. Excellent.” I think that judge’s comment says it all about Britta’s top 10 image.
Dave placed second in the Reception category with this quirky photo of a bride bowling in Moorhead after the ceremony. One judge said, “I really like the repetitiveness of the circles (bowling balls) and the hot pink one the bride is using makes for a great entry point into the image.”
This photo of a couple sharing their first dance at the Plains Art Museum earned Dave a top-20 win in the Reception category. The high angle and dramatic use of light captures the love and intimacy of the couple shares.
Dave earned another top-20 win in the Getting Ready category with this photo of a bridesmaid carefully checking her makeup with a small mirror. “A cute peek-a-boo getting ready image is highlighted by the shaggy bangs and clean background,’ said one judge.
Britta earned a sixth-place win in the Details category with this shot of a groom fiddling with his new ring. Those new rings take some getting used to!
Just hangers and a tie but the lines, shadows and color added up to an eighth-place win in the Details category for Britta. “Simple subject for sure, but the shadows offer a bit of complexity to the photograph. The red also adds uniformity to the two subjects,” said a judge.
This fourth-place winning photo in the Food & Drinks category by Dave again demonstrates finding the artistic in the ordinary. Small-town Minnesota was the simple backdrop for this creative shot. One judge said of the image, “This is a haunting and beautiful image. It reminds me of the last supper. The use of light is extraordinary and the sensibility is exquisite.”
A top-20 image in the Transportation category and also selected as the cover image for the March 2007 issue of WedPix magazine. Simple, well-composed and storytelling — what wedding photojournalism is all about.
This photo from another small-town wedding earned Britta a fourth-place award in the Creative use of Mirrors category. The judges praised Britta by saying, “She looks great swigging that beer with her satin dress and the light is wonderful. Yet it’s all framed by this great stuff all around it.”
Britta’s fifth-place photo of a bride sitting dramatically shows what happens when a talented photographer, good technique and situational awareness all come together. One judge said, “The intricacy of the bride’s gown and flowers offset the start black 2/3rds of the image and really force you to linger on the gown. Keeping the gown blueish and not forcing it white softens the transition between the gown and black side of the frame.”
A second place winner in the Cake Cutting category, Britta found the interesting in a typical situation. One judge commented, “The addition of the kid with the camera, and the clever cropping of the image reflects the photographer’s ability to see and react quickly.”
Britta’s photo of a bride flexing her muscle in the mirror placed in the top 20 of the Getting Ready category. Not your typical bride-getting-ready photo, but a photo that definitely gives us a look at the bride’s character.
Another top 20 photo for Britta, this time in the Details category. A gorgeous, subtle detail found during a very common moment. The vibrant fingernails and elegant curve of the fingers add an artistic touch to a hair-styling photo.
Britta placed fifth with this photo to gain entry into the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association. The high angle and creative Photoshop technique make for, as one judge put it, “…a quirky photo that just works.”
Dave placed in the top ten of the Emotion category with this image to become the very first North Dakota photographer to win a WPJA award. The bride and groom visited the grave of a sibling after the ceremony to place some flowers and share a quiet moment. Dave knew this moment wasn’t his to be involved with, so he stayed far away to capture the image.
Milestones Photography is home to the top two award-winning wedding photojournalists in North Dakota. No studio in the region has achieved the same level of international recognition and respect.
Dave and Britta have won numerous professional awards during their careers. Their news photos have been honored by the National Press Photographers Association, North Dakota Newspaper Association, Minnesota Newspaper Association and the Associated Press.
Their wedding photos have earned awards from the Wedding Photojournalist Association and the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association. Membership to the [AG]WPJA is gained by having a photo place in one of the quarterly contests. Dave and Britta are the first photographers in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota or Montana to gain membership into this prestigious division of the WPJA, where they have won multiple awards for their artistic achievements.
Awards
Milestones Photography is home to the top two award-winning wedding photojournalists in North Dakota. No studio in the region has achieved the same level of international recognition and respect.
Dave and Britta have won numerous professional awards during their careers. Their news photos have been honored by the National Press Photographers Association, North Dakota Newspaper Association, Minnesota Newspaper Association and the Associated Press.
Their wedding photos have earned awards from the Wedding Photojournalist Association and the Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association. Membership to the [AG]WPJA is gained by having a photo place in one of the quarterly contests. Dave and Britta are the first photographers in North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota or Montana to gain membership into this prestigious division of the WPJA, where they have won multiple awards for their artistic achievements.