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Above photo by Levi Yamen

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So here they are...starting with the engagement photos.  These are 5 photos that I selected to tell the stories behind.  It was not easy to pick just five, but these are the ones for 2009 in no particular order...

This first photo is of Stephanie and Scott.  We shot some photos downtown at the new sculpture garden.  This photo only happened because I vandalized some stuff....on accident.  The giant Nomade sculpture to be exact.  This "Please Do Not Touch" sign was affixed to the concrete directly in front of the statue.  I accidentally kicked it and it flew across the ground.  We decided to have some fun with it and this photo is one that we took.  Technically the sign did say "please".....

 This next one comes from Micci and Devon's engagement shoot.  This is one of my favorites because it shows something that you wouldn't have seen normally from the shoot.  We shot most of their engagement photos in Downtown Ames on rather warm September 13.  The sun was shining and although we were hiding in the shadows and the alleys it was tough not to sweat a little.  So, kinda gross, but this is the sweat towel.  Something that tends to appear at a lot of engagement sessions and other photo shoots shot in the summer.  We do not have one that we carry around for everyone....uh, gross....but everyone tends to bring one when it's that hot.  It's a good idea.  With real close ups you would definitely see all the sweaty detail.  Not with these two.

 This photo was NOT taken by Nuzum Photo.  It deserves it's correct photo credits.  This photo is copyright Nikki.  Nikki was the self-proclaimed best self shooter.  Everyone these days is holding their camera out away from their face and snapping away.  A tripod isn't always available but you have to snap that shot with you and your friends.  In this case we put Nikki to the test.  Using our 15mm fisheye lens she snapped this shot....perfect....the 2010 Self Shooter Championships have a favorite.

 A photographer loves a new playground.  An Iowa farm is an excellent playground.  This photo comes from Kellie and Brian's engagement photos shot on Brian's family farm.  We wondered around across years of history and every location we could think of.  This one came late in the shoot as we were just about to wrap up.  They thought it would be pretty cool to get a shot with one of the old pick-up trucks on the property.  I thought it would be cool to take this one.  We took both. 

The final photo that I chose comes from Nicole and Josh's second engagement shoot.  We split their shoot into two so they could do some inside in the winter and then some outside once it got nicer out.  As you can tell it was a pretty nice day...they did end up in the water.  We shot this photo at Saylorville Lake.  We headed down to the Cherry Glen area and started shooting.  These two were up for pretty much anything.  Josh was really adventurous and suggest jumping in the water.  I won't force anyone to do anything on a shot, but this was awesome for me.  They had a great time and were having a ton of fun...as you can see. 

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Sunday afternoon I drove up to Ogden for an engagement shoot with Kellie and Brian.  Kellie and Brian are getting married next August.  We took a few photos at a gazebo just on the west side of Ogden.  Then headed out to Brian's parent's farm for some additional photos.  I love the opportunity to shoot any photos on any farm.  They have limitless possibilities and provide a lot of backgrounds.  Kellie and Brian had a specific shot they wanted with an awesome tree.  We started there and then walked around the farm taking shot after shot until we'd circled the farm about 3 times.  The shoot went great and we are really looking forward to next year's wedding.  Below are a few of our favorites.

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Sunday morning I had the great opportunity to photograph engagement photos for Mallery and Ben.  Ashley and I will be photographing Mallery and Ben's wedding next September.  We took all the photos downtown in the Court ave. area.  If you follow our blog much, you know we love this area.  I love when we go on a photo shoot and I hear things like "i'm not photogenic" or "what should we do".  Then the photos turn out like these.  Clearly photogenic, clearly knew what to do.  Some might ask, what to do?  The answer is simple.  Be yourselves.  That is what these two did and the photos turned out great.  Below are a few of our favorites.

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As you may remember Ashley and I gave away some engagement sessions to couples with awesome engagement stories.  Jessica and Brett our another pair of our winners.  I won't repost the entire story here, but here are the highlights....Jessica is a huge Christmas fan and always wanted to be proposed to on Christmas Eve.  Jessica was graduating from the University of Iowa in May and didn't believe her boyfriend, Brett, would be able to make it.  However, Brett had arranged to make the trip back from Tennessee and surprised Jessica with a Christmas in May.  He had setup a Christmas tree complete with gifts.  Jessica worked her way through all the gifts until she opened the last one.  It was a Precious Moments figurine of a proposal.  Brett got down on one knee and popped the big question.  Awesome story, one which my proposal story does not come close to.  These two will be married next July.  Below are a few of our favorite shots from the shoot.  Congratulations Jessica and Brett.

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On the 27th Ashley and I shot 3 engagement shoots.  Each was incredible in its own way.  We hit so many different backgrounds and locations.  In the morning I was in Ames with Christine and Derek, at noon Ashley and I shot photos with Laurie and Matt in studio and at Saylorville Lake, in the afternoon we ventured downtown with Carmen and Ron.  It was an awesome day and the photos are the proof.  Find their blog posts below....

Christine and Derek

Laurie and Matt

Carmen and Ron

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To cap off our trifecta of engagement shoots on the 27th, we photographed Carmen and Ron around the Court Ave. district in downtown Des Moines, IA.  Shooting in the court avenue area is always interesting because of how many people are in the area.  It was especially busy due to Wicked being in town.  Carmen and Ron handled it great and we were able to get some really fun shots.  Court Ave. is easily becoming one of our favorites spots to shoot.  Below are a few of our favorite photos.

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On the 27th of September, Ashley and I photographed engagement photos for Laurie and Matt.  I was traveling back from a morning shoot in Ames, and missed the studio shoot.  Ashley took care of it and we moved outside as soon as I arrived.  We traveled up to Saylorville Lake and got some shots both at the Visitor's Center and down by the water.  Watching these two hang out together will put a smile on anyone's face.  They had so much fun and you can tell that it wasn't just because they were on a photo shoot.  They were enjoying every moment and are perfect for each other.  We sent them out into a field and they came back with every plant form stuck to them.  They were awesome sports about it.  Below are a few of our favorites.

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On Sunday, September 27th, I headed to Ames to shoot engagement photos with Christine and Derek.  We started out on the ISU campus near the Memorial Union and ended up at a park north of Ames.  They had some specific ideas of shots they wanted which always makes things easier.  It also helps them put their own little touch on their engagement session.  The weather was great and the photos turned out perfect.  Below are a few of our favorites.

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Wow...these two were fantastic.  On Sunday I drove up to Ames, IA to shoot engagement photos for Micci and Ryan.  We spent a lot of time in downtown Ames, in back alleys, and in the middle of the street.  It was a pretty quite Sunday and not a lot of people out and about, so we were able to get a ton of shots.  They had some great ideas of their own and then I threw out all the ideas I could come up with.  It wasn't a HOT day but in the sun it was warm...we clung to the shadows.  It is always best for most photos anyway.  When then headed to the park where they actually got engaged and snapped some more shots.  I had an awesome time and these two were great together in front of the camera.  They were very relaxed and engaging with each other.  Below are just select few of our favorites.

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Yesterday, Ashley and I photographed engagement photos for Nikki and Drew.  These two are getting married next year at the Simon Estes Amphitheater.  We shot their photos downtown in the Court Ave district.  Nikki and Drew have an awesome little dog named Remy that broke out his best Fabio moves during his portion of the photo shoot.  Remy is a street tough little Mini-Dachshund strolling the mean sidewalks of Des Moines...ok, maybe that was a bit over the top.  Remy rocks.  Enough said.  Nikki and Drew were great to work with and Nikki, the self-proclaimed, best self shooter even got the chance to self shoot one shot of herself and Drew.  See the first photo below for the results.  Best self shot photo ever.  The shoot was all sorts of good all over downtown.  The shoot featured many things...a dog, the homeless, old underwear, a stopped train blocking us from getting to our shoot destination, mac and cheese for dinner and much, much more.  It was an awesome time.  And one last note, like to give a special shout out to the cousin in the loft with the hangy thing.  Below are a few of our favorite shots...

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Last night I photographed an engagement session for Mike and Rachel.  They are an awesome couple from the midwest and met here in Des Moines at Drake University.  We started the session in Valley Junction and then headed over both Water Works Park and Gray's Lake.  The weather was perfect.  Nice cool temperatures, some sun, and some wind.  Made for great photo opportunities.  We had a lot of fun and they were great to photograph.  Below are a few of our favorites!

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Last Tuesday I photographed engagement photos for Ben and Arley.  We headed downtown and covered some new ground that I hadn't photographed on previously.  As you head towards 4th street and Court Avenue downtown there are some awesome buildings and alley's.  We had a great time and while shooting down there puts both the photographer and the couple on display for all, they handled it perfectly and we had a great time.  Below are just a few of our favorites!

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Ashley and I gave away three free engagement sessions this year.  We picked winners randomly and based on engagement story. We had a lot of entries and 3 were selected.  By chance, we were already invited to photograph Melissa and Andre's wedding and they won one of the three shoots. 

July in Iowa can be hot, humid, and stormy at times.  On Friday it was a little of all three.  We headed to downtown Des Moines with Melissa and Andre.  The area around the river and the area near the old train depot are always hot spots for Des Moines photographers.  The alleys, buildings, and general backdrop give many picture opportunities.  We sometimes do similar photos at each shoot, but at the same time ALWAYS have something new come from each shoot.  This one was no different.  We started out on the pedestrian bridge near Principal Park.  It was a little rainy, more misty than anything, but quickly stopped and allowed us to get the shoot in.  We ventured down some new alley ways and around some new spots.  Melissa and Andre were great to work with.  I don't think that Andre liked that I brought a camera along, but he was more than a good sport about getting all the photos we wanted.  They were great about going down alley's and the other spots that we choose for the shoot even though they had to put up with me saying we were done and then running off another 100 photos at various locations from various angles.  Either way, these guys were awesome and we are really looking forward to the October wedding!  Below are a few of our favorites...

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Last Monday I had the opportunity to photograph engagement photos for Jill and Travis.  Ashley and I will be shooting their wedding this upcoming September.  This shoot was actually a reschedule.  We previously had a date set but were forced to cancel due to sporadic weather.  At 3pm when we canceled the shoot it was so dark in West Des Moines that the light sensors had tripped and the evening lights had come on around the area.  At 6pm, the scheduled time, it was blue skies and sunny...that's Iowa weather.  We headed out to Gray's Lake and found some great backdrops.  As a lot of you probably know, Gray's Lake is a hot spot on warm summer days.  Monday was no different.  It was a little warm and the place was packed.  We moved around the lake and got some great shots.  Young Braden even took some pictures.  I handed him one of my cameras and let him snap away, while I got shots of him (see below).  Jill, Travis, and Braden were great to work with and we are looking forward to the big day!  Below are a few of our favorite shots!

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On Monday I was able to get out and beat the weather to photograph engagement photos for Allison and Jason.  We headed to the Rose Garden and even took a few at the art center.  While I was warned about someone's dislike for photos, Jason, these two were just fine and the photos turned out great.  Here's to hoping the weather holds off for the upcoming shoots this weekend!  Congratulations Allison and Jason.

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The Rose Garden is a great place to have photos taken and definitely one of our favorites.  On Sunday Amella and Damir chose the Rose Garden to have their engagement pictures taken.  As much time as we spend there taking photos you'd think at some point we would run out of ideas....not the case.  These two were great to work with and open for some of the goofier shots we requested of them.  In the end they turned out great.  These two are comfortable around each other, really know how to make each other laugh, and it really shows.  Congratulations to these two and good luck with the upcoming wedding!  (P.S...we are also doing a downtown night shoot next week with these two, so watch for those photos.)

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Yesterday I was lucky enough to get out and photograph Maddie and Kyle's engagement photos.  They were looking for some shots downtown and it was a perfect day for photos.  These two drove into Des Moines from Minnesota and were ready to go upon arrival.  Engagement shoots are great because it gives us the opportunity to work with each other before the wedding day and get to see how each react to the photo shoot process.  These two were awesome and got me really excited for the big day in September!  And although you couldn't tell it from our favorites here...they didn't kiss in every picture but these two are great together and especially in front of the camera.  Below are just a few of our favorites.

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Yesterday I ventured out to Saylorville Lake with Nicole and Josh.  We originally scheduled outdoor photos but poor weather forced us to complete just studio photos.  Well we got the outdoor stuff rescheduled and made the most of our time.  I had a blast and these two were so much fun!  We climbed up and down the side of the lake and they trekked with me as I tried to figure out where we were headed and what location we would shot at.  In the end we made it through the shoot and turned out some great shots.  Below are just a few of our favorites.

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Last night Ashley and I had an awesome photo shoot with Sara and Mark.  We were taking engagement photos and traveled all across the Rose Garden and Greenwood park before heading to Water Works Park.  We found great places for photos and made use of most of them.  It was the complete nature tour and we did a little hiking, but from the results I would say it was well worth it.  Below are just a select few of our favorites.

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Yesterday, Ashley and I photographed engagement photos with Tara and Nick.  They have a late August wedding planned and we will be there for that as well!  Yesterday's warm temperatures were a little taste of what August weather can be like.  We started by taking a few quick photos in studio and then heading out to Water Works Park.  Not everything was in full bloom at WWP, but we had plenty of opportunities for great shots.  We had a great time and a few of our favorites are below.

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Last year Ashley and I did two free engagement sessions based on creativity and uniqueness of location.  Kate and Bubba were our first winners.  We did an outdoor shoot in Indianola at Buxton Park.  They also wanted to do a quick indoor shoot and we finally got time and had them in the studio.  Below are a few of our favorites from the indoor session.

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Ashley and I recently shot engagement photos with Nicole and Josh.  These two will be getting married this upcoming June.  As is typical for this time of year, we wanted to get outside and do some shots, but the weather turned bad and we didn't get to make it outside.  Below are a few of our favorites.

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This Saturday Ashley and I photographed an engagement shoot with Sheri and Ryan.  These two will be getting married this September.  We tried and tried to get out and shoot some shots with a wintry background but the weather was either too harsh or too nice...the snow would melt much too quick.  We got out this weekend and took some shots both at the Botanical Center and downtown.  Below are a few of our favorites.

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This past weekend Ashley and I photographed Stephanie and Jasen's engagement photos.  January doesn't lend itself to great outside shots and the unseasonable warm weather didn't help much either.  Everything was melting and it was pretty messy.  We took some shots at the botanical center and followed that up with some shots on the pedestrian bridge and at water works park.  We had a great time and below are some of our favorites.  Congratulations Stephanie and Jasen!

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We will be giving away 2 free engagements sessions in 2009.  We want to know how you were proposed to or how you proposed.  Ashley and I will be reviewing all entries and selecting two winners based on our favorites.  We will be posting the stories on our blog and awarding two couples free engagement sessions.  This is a contest about love stories and pictures of true love.  Please visit http://contest.nuzumphoto.com for all the details.  

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Blog catchup time.  We shot Heather and Dan's engagement session back in December.  We did some shots indoors and headed out.  The day was actually really nice out, but caused a lot of melting and was messy.  We had a great time and below are a few of our favorites.

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This past Saturday I photographed an engagement session for Brittany and Eric.  We went out to Valley Junction and wondered around snapping shots.  It was a little cold, but we made the best of it.  Although we took a break to warm up and let it get darker out, they hung in there and we got some great shots.  Below are a few of our favorites. 

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Nicole and Jake will be getting married next year.  Nicole was actually a bridesmaid in a wedding we photographed earlier this year.  She had the inside information on our style and working with us after that wedding.  We escaped to the Botanical Center and took some fun shots indoors and out.  Below are a few of our favorites. 

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Nikki and Mark will be getting married next year.  We wanted to get the engagement shoot in before the new year.  Mother nature wasn't up for it.  With winds gusting over 40 mph we had to move inside.  Although I still pressed them to do some shots out in the weather, they were great through out the entire shoot! 

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We split Carrie and Ryan's engagement shoot into two separate shoots so they could get some summer and fall shots.  Just like the first time around these two are a lot of fun.  They really bring out the best in each other.  We had a great time again.  Congratulations Carrie and Ryan!

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Next year Ashley and I will be photographing Jessica and Matt's wedding.  When we met with them we realized that they actually don't live too far from us, just a couple blocks.  We had a great time and the pictures really show that.  Below are just a few of our favorites.

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There are many things that I can say about this photo shoot and the most important is that these two were great to work with!  We had much adversity from the time we started to the time we stopped, but these two were great throughout even with the problems we encountered.  Our first stop was the state capital.  However, we didn't anticipate duel protests/rallies.  So we moved along.  We went to the art center where we were able to take several good shots.  So we thought we'd visit the Rose Garden and Greenwood park while we were there....nope.  Wedding in the Rose Garden, wedding in the ampitheatre, and some fishing thing at the pond.  So we headed over to Water Works Park.  Finally, no people and a chance to take some shots with the two of them.  Below are just a few of our favorites.

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Last week Ashley and I photographed an engagement session with Toni and Shaun.  They are getting married next year and happened to be in town.  The pictures turned out perfect.  We had a great time with them.  We just kept taking shots and moving and moving.  We are really looking forward to next year's wedding.

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This past weekend I had the pleasure of shooting Robin and Cale's engagement photos at Grey's Lake.  We had a great time.  The lake is the perfect location for engagement photos and these two have a ton of fun.  Their personalities are perfect for each other.  They love each other and they love to have fun.  Below are just a few of my favorites shots from the shoot.

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A couple weeks ago, Ashley and I got out and photographed Mirsada and Aldin.  These two will be getting married next year.  When these two are together you can really tell how much they care for each other.  Their personalities are great together.  We are definitely looking forward to next year's wedding.

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On Sunday the 31st of August we had a great engagement shoot with Andrea and Rick.  They will be getting married later this month.  We had a good time and even took a ride on the carousel at Union Park.  These two were a lot of fun and as you can see below that really came out in the photos.

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Last Sunday we got our first chance to get Brandy and Teague in front of the camera.  We shot an engagement session with some in studio pictures as well as some outdoor shots.  After an encounter with a snake and an additional encounter with a wasp, we were able to capture some great photos.  Below are just a few of our favorites.

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Last Thursday before vacation, I photographed an engagement shoot for Carrie and Ryan.  These two were a lot of fun.  We will actually be doing a couple more shoots before their wedding next June.  We shot these near the capital.  It was a little warm, but not nearly as hot as the 94 degrees that we encountered on their original shoot date.  Below are a few of our favorite shots.

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Sunday afternoon I got out and photographed and engagement session for Julia and Eric.  We hit a lot of spots downtown and took a ton of pictures.  Just spending time with these two you can tell how much fun they have together.  There enthusiasm really came out in the shots we got.  Below are a few of our favorites.

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On Sunday Ashley and I photographed Jennifer and Trae.  These two are getting married on August 30.  We had a great time and it was a ton of fun.  We took a bunch of shots and below are a few of our favorites.  We are really excited for the upcoming wedding.

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Lainey and Dominique are getting married this week and we were able to get out and do a quick engagement session with them before their wedding.  The two were a lot of fun and great about being out in the heat.  We found some shady areas as well to help relieve us from the sun.  They picked out a great location for part of the shoot and we got great shots.  Then we headed over to Greenwood Park and took just a few more.  Below are some of Ashley and my favorites.  We can't wait for the wedding!

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On Wednesday, Brian and I were able to get out and photograph Kristen and Ben's engagement photos.  Later this year, Ashley and I will be photographing their wedding in Grinnell.  We decided to do the engagement photos in nearby Lynnville.  It is a small town with some really great backdrops.  The town has a main street perfect for photos containing that small town feel.  They also have a historic mill location.  We got some great shots and our favorites are below.  Can't wait for the wedding!

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Our second winners!  Jenny and Steve are the second winners in our free engagement contest.  You might remember that Kate and Bubba were our other winners and their photos are posted here as well.  Jenny and Steve's location was an acreage south of Indianola.  As someone who lives in the city it was great to get out and see some green, and on this acreage there was plenty of it.  We had a great time and got some great shots.  Our favorites are posted below.

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Kate and Bubba were the first of our two engagement shoot contest winners.  There location selection was Buxton Park in Indianola, IA.  We hadn't done a photo shoot at the park until Sunday.  The location was perfect.  The grounds are extremely well kept and we were able to catch some terrific shots.  Below are a select few.  Congratualtions to the first half of our contest winners, Kate and Bubba.

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