kelowna wedding photographer darren hull studios blog

07-28-10

Kendra & Jayden

Congrats to you both. It was fantastic to be with you guys on your wedding day.

Kelowna Wedding Photographer Darren Hull.

07-05-10

Amber & Kyle

This post is kinda new, involves bits and bytes from all three of us. Natel, Kim, and the stuff that does not make sense would be me. Kim started the ball and hopefully we built on it a little.

What a wedding it was. When a Bride & Groom say they want their reception to be the best one anyone has ever been to, its a lot to live up to ~ well Amber and Kyle did that and more!

Amber looking striking.
A lot of our morning prep was spent how to work with the downpouring rain that we had all morning, but with a quick call from the bride we had an extra 40 minutes for our start time and thats all we needed for the rain to stop.

Getting ready at Manteo Resort
This gorgeous wedding ceremony took place at Summer Hill Winery, which overlooks much of Kelowna and Lake Okanagan. The ceremony was elegant and beautiful to say the least. The walkway for the wedding party and bride was lined with perfect pink rose petals. The groomsmen hit up some dance moves early in the day (saved the best for the reception!) as they grooved down in their entrance and exit from the ceremony ~ and even the bride was dancing!

The Summerhill Truck

I always like to capture all the guests in at least one shot!

The Crue on the Fence

Summer Hill Winery is not only a tourist & wedding mecca in the Okanagan, it just happens to also be a fantastic place for photos. We had an old heritage house and vintage truck to work with, along with some beautiful fencing and grassy fields. Next stop was Bertram Park, a beachside, green treed hilly location at the very edge of town, where we took a large majority of the photos. The weather turned out perfect for photos, as the rain saturated all of our ‘scenes’ with intense crazy coloring and a fresh sense that everything had just been cleaned by nature. Although the bridesmaids were a bit chilly in their sassy cocktail dresses, they were still excellent participants in our shoot.

Hanging at Bertram

A kiss and a stroll on the beach – the weather started to break around this point, and finally the sun joined us.

As a matter of fact, the wedding party was an amazing group of people to work with. Each showed their own strong personalities, adding their own element of charisma or quirk, making the time pass quickly with jokes and laughs that kept rolling through shooting. It was evident to us that the friendships in this group of people had strong roots, they were truly all there for one another, making Amber & Kyle’s big day even more memorable for all.

A group pee. Asparagus perhaps?

A late night smoke.

The reception! Now its not very often that you go to a reception that you are not ‘technically’ invited to (and you are only there because you are hired for a job) and you still have a killer time. Darren and I took a few hours of reception photos, and before we knew it, Kyle & Amber’s 84-year-old Opa was given’r on the dance floor. The reception was by far one of the best that I have ever attended, and I didn’t know anyone other than Darren.

Kim shooting the first dance.

Survivor Winner!

While DJ Haymaker kept the music fresh, it was the Bride & Groom and all of their friends and family that kept the party going. By the end of the night, I may have even ended up on the dance floor ~ it was that good!

KimA grooves.

Congratulations Amber & Kyle

06-09-10

Kelowna Wedding Photographer – Darren Hull

Kelowna wedding photographer, Darren Hull is based in the Okanagan, BC, Canada. Darren Hulls Studios provides professional wedding, engagement, trash the dress, lifestyle portraits, and commercial photography services.

Our new wedding website has be launched: Check out some of new work.

kelowna wedding photographer darren hull

What others have said:

So many people were thrilled, as we were, to see themselves (or their
children) photographed just being themselves — but in a very flattering
way. Words that many people used to describe the works were “artistic”,
“portrait”, “model”, “creative” and “professional”.

- Mark Pivon
Thank you thank you, thank you, I really can’t say it enough
They are stunning. Mike was making fun of me cause I couldn’t stop looking at them. I was slightly worried as usually don’t take the best pictures, but you caught the feel of the day so well. I love them all, I would pick a favourite and then it would change literally on the next photo hahaha.

- Tara & Mike

These images are AWESOME! We are so glad that you were there with us on our day and what you’ve captured brings all those memories rushing back in an instant!

- Shayne & Karen

I really love the pictures and so does everyone else. The whole wedding
party had so much fun that day that they want to do it again! Thank you so
much. Thank you again for all of your work ,we will for sure recommend you to others.

- Jacquelyn & Dustin Cook

We also wanted to let you know that you guys were awesome! Everyone at the wedding commented on how you always seemed to be right where the action was, getting cool shots! Thank you so much for capturing our day.

- Shelley & Aaron Schmidt

It really was a fantastic day, which Christian and I are both so pleased about. We put alot of time and planning in the wedding as we wanted to be a the best day of our life and a most memorable experience for our family and friends. I think we managed to achieve that, as most of the feedback has been nothing but positive.

I wanted to thank both of you, before even seeing the photos, as it was a pleasure to have you share in our special day. Your enthusiam, professionalism and personalities were a perfect fit and were noted by our families, bridal party and guests.

- Stephanie and Christian Gregory

We absolutely love the photos Darren, we knew we got the best when we hired you! You’re a superstar. We will recommend you to others.

- Trina and Darren

Thanks for helping make our day so special. The pictures turned out awesome, and I will gladly recommend you to any of our friends that are looking for a wedding photographer..

- Barry & Alissa

Wow.. we love the pics! They are truly beautiful and we will be recommending you to everyone we know. I don’t know how you got so many great angles and shots while being so totally unobtrusive throughout the day but somehow you pulled it off! Thank you for all your hard work and for being such a pleasure to work with, both you and your wife.

- Beth & Jez Nichols

Thank you for all your help on our wedding day! Elena and I had a great time and we’re looking forward to seeing the photos. You and your assistant were both very professional and you put our wedding party/family at ease. We were worried that a couple of hours of photos might become tedious (especially on that hot afternoon!) However, the time flew by and it was definitely a memorable part of the day. Also, thank you for staying so late at our reception. We would recommend you to any of our friends without hesitation.

- Dean & Elena

Unbelievable! We are so happy with how they turned out, the hockey ones are all amazing. You both did a fantastic job and made us feel so comfortable the day of. We also wanted to thank you for staying later then expected, I know we didn’t have that in the contract so thank you for staying on your own time and taking more great pictures! I also wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that we have gotten so many compliments on our wedding pictures. People have said that they look like they are out of a magazine, and they are the best wedding photos they have ever seen. So again Mike and I just want to thank you again for a such a great day and for photographing our wedding.

- Kristin & Mike

Thank you so much for all your hard work and patience. The photos are beautiful. We are so pleased and can’t wait to share them with our family and friends. You
did a fantastic job and we would be happy to provide a testimonial should you ever need one.

- Sarah & Brendan

The photographs from our wedding day are breathtaking! They turned out even better than we could have imagined.

We wanted to also thank you for all your hard work on the day of the wedding. You and Natel were both great to work with. Getting our pictures done was one of the highlights of the day.

You captured our day perfectly! The pictures display the energy of our wedding party. When we look at the photos it feels like we are there again. Our words cannot express how amazing the pictures turned out!

- Kathryn & Kevin

I just am in awe of how amazing our pictures are! They totally take our breath away. You two were so fun to work with and we really are so pleased with the service you provide. We are looking to start a family and I can’t wait to book you for our pregnancy pictures as well as our family pictures.

You have a real talent, art and we feel blessed to have worked with you both.

- Belinda & Derek Ginter

Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how beautiful Maaike and Sean’s wedding photos are. It was super fun having you and your wife be a part of the wedding and I know Maaike loves her pictures. We all had a great time and the pictures reflect what an amazing day it was.

Thanks for a great job. Good luck with your upcoming arrival…it’s the true miracle in life.

- Kimberly (Maaike’s Matron of Honor)

Thank you both for the best wedding photos we have ever seen. I can’t stop looking at them! You both were great annd very helpful. Thanks again..and wish you guys the best!

- Lindsey B

We wanted to let you know that you guys were awesome! Everyone at the wedding commented on how you always seemed to be right where the action was, getting cool shots! Thank you so much for capturing our day.

- Dan & Tanya:)

Let us be the first to say what an excellent job you two did on Maggie and Mike’s wedding!The photos are extraordinary and makes us feel as if we’re still there ! Great work ! Thank You.

- Gayle & Alex Melnychuk

You have provided us with the best photographs that I’ve ever seen!!! Thank you so much. We are so impressed!

- Maggie Balfour

Just wanted to thank you once again for your work on our special day. You captured all the details of our wedding that often go unnoticed – your work had exceeded our expectations. You went well beyond what we discussed prior to the wedding, and for that, I wanted to publicly thank you!!!!

- Marion H

06-01-10

Amber/Kyle – teaser for the teaser

Congrats guys!! – talk to you when your back!

During a first pass edit, this image stood out huge. Here is a teaser for a larger post Kim is working on. Really enjoyed this wedding.

05-28-10

A "June" Wedding in May

a post by Kim A [thomas]

Darren and I showed up to the location (a beautiful, old church located on Benvolin) about an hour and a half too early. We did some wandering around the property to brainstorm some shots and then headed back to the vehicle to stay warm. The weather wasn’t on our side.

The wedding was small; a few close friends and family to the bride and groom, a couple of the bride’s university profs and then Darren and I. You really stand out as a photographer when the crowd and venue are both small, not to mention being the “ugly black ducks” in a crowd full of beautifully dressed men and women. The bride’s porcelain face glowed with excitement, in fact, she didn’t stop smiling or laughing once throughout the entire day.

The ceremony was quick and simple. Darren had the front of the church covered and I had the back, meaning, we shot with about a 7 foot distance between the two of us (like I said, small venue!). Once the ceremony was over we headed outside behind the church where a quick reception of cake and hugs took place. While outside, the bride wanted a photo of everyone who attended her wedding in one large group. Normally, it would be a crazy request except, once again, the crowd was small and so we were able to have everyone squish into a group and all say cheese. It was pretty funny to be honest, everyone cheek to cheek. They were all so energetic and playful that the photos of them turned out incredibly candid and full of life. The bride took a spill during one shot when we asked the entire group to run towards us. Not even here did her blissful expression change.

The location couldn’t have worked better for the photos we were wanting. We had a beautiful landscape to work with (tall, grass field; trees; flowers; white, picket fences; old, rusted bicycles…). It was a bit surreal to be able to get such stunning photos of the couple right outside of the church they were married in. For a lot of the weddings we are doing this summer, we’ll be moving to prettier locations to get the wedding party shots. For this wedding, though, we were able to capture everything on the small property.

It was such an awesome wedding to start the season with. Not only did the bride smile and laugh in delight the entire day, everyone else who was there did, too. The rain held off until the last 10 minutes of shooting, where the bride twirled in a parking lot and smiled for the camera.

05-11-10

The Opening of Sparkling Hill Resort

a post by Kim A [thomas]

Just over a week ago Darren and I had the incredible opportunity of shooting the event photos for Sparkling Hill Resort’s grand opening. To describe the resort in one word: stunning! We headed out of Kelowna around 3pm to make our way to the Resort. Neither of us really had any idea what to expect except that it would be a late night (which turned out to be us checking out around 2:30am). Our biggest fear wasn’t coverage for the event but rather dress attire. We had been informed that there would be a variety of wealthy (understatement) people there, including the winner from Austrian Idol (no, not American, but Austrian…). Darren didn’t own any ballroom gowns and I didn’t want to wear my old grad dress, so yes, we were under dressed, but thankfully the ‘let’s wear all black’ decision we had made earlier ended up being a good choice.

Turns out coverage was an issue. With two human bodies, only three camera bodies (Darren, two; myself, one) and four to five different lenses, we were on our toes the entire night running from left stage to right stage to behind the audience, in front of the audience, above the audience… I couldn’t really tell you what all went on during the event; I was too busy trying to get every possible shot rather than paying attention to the actual dance piece / opera song / etc etc etc being performed. Lucky for us, we filled each others’ gaps – Darren capturing the majority of the event and my own photos adding a feminine touch.

Most of the shots we got were candid – people talking over dinner, watching the performances, saying hello to an old friend… situations like this make it difficult to get a photo without seeming like a huge creeper. For this very reason, I’m glad we both had telephoto lenses so we didn’t have to get up in anyone’s face. Instead we were able to creep from 30+ feet away, catch the person(s) in an entirely genuine moment and move on to our next target being virtually unnoticed. There were some staged portraits that took place at a nice looking bench we found with some (real!!!) crystals behind it. People came to Darren throughout the night to get their portrait taken.

What did I learn the most about shooting this event? I learned how to capture an emotion struck photo in an event that was rather bland. Sure, it was fancy and the people looked great, but it was a lot of talking and a lot of them sitting and eating. It was great to watch Darren capture people’s expressions at just the right moment.

All in all, the event was great. It was definitely a learning experience for me, one I am very thankful for. You can view some of the images here:
http://www.sparklinghillphotos.com/grandopening/welcome/
-kim a. [thomas]

04-01-10

The Wedding Chicks – Posted a few images from our shoot

“I think this is an excellent example on how to accessorize and add a little flavor to your bridal look without over doing it.”

A big fan of this site!

Link to the post

03-31-10

Modern Style? Nope. Classic & Timeless is always the goal.

There seems to be several weddings I have never posted over the past few years.

Here are a few images of Danielle at Summerhill. I thought she had a great look.

03-29-10

The Wedding Cafe – Kelowna

Another thanks to the kelowna’s wedding cafe for putting up with us.

Photographer: Darren Hull @dahul
Producer: Natel Hull @tellinatellina
Production Assistant: Kim A. Thomas @kimathomas
Model: Sam Parr
Videographer: Tim Feeny @timfeeny
Make Up: Melanie Feeny @shimmerandgloss
Hair: Tasha
Location: Wedding Cafe @TWCKelowna
Accessories: Ten Fashions Bridal Boutique @TenFashions
Coffee: Cherry Hill Coffee @Mmm_Cherry_Hill