01-Bull District Park Engagement Session-Austin wedding photographer-Philip Thomas Photography
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Bull District Park Austin Texas Engagement Session | Jackie+Alfred

ByPhilip Thomas

This couple at Bull District Park, Austin! Fantastic session with a beautiful bride to be Jackie and handsome groom to be Alfred from San Antonio, Texas.After plans fell through to photograph at Enchanted Rock, I knew I had to find a suitable location that just espoused the beauty of Texas. Bull District Park is a…

Reggie Campbell
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PRINT SALE: For our friend, Reg Campbell

ByPhilip Thomas

Following three years of battling leukemia, our friend Reginald (Reg) Campbell was laid to rest on Sunday, May 17th. Days after the news of his death, friends and fellow photographers of Reg met and chose to create a one-time limited print sale of personally selected works. 100% of the proceeds from these prints will be…

Loran and bridesmaids in a decisive moment at St Anthony Hotel San Antonio Texas -0386-L1003507
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Decisive moment – Image of the week 11 – Philip Thomas

ByPhilip Thomas

I love what I do for a living. For over 25 years, I’ve been fascinated with the ‘Decisive Moment.’ My style of photography is primarily based on this concept and what I look for to tell a story in one image. The ‘Decisive Moment’ is the idea that Henri Cartier-Bresson spoke of when all the…

I love images that look seemingly simple, and yet this shot was challenging to capture. The focus is on Alison, our beautiful bride, and her father during their joyous first dance. But I’m always looking for more, and I love multi-layering my images and tell the story in the most profound way possible. The challenge is to capture these moments in real-time with interactions from the photographer. If I can do this in one shot, then this is a good example. My back was up against the reception wall when capturing these. At first, the flower girls noticed me but eventually placed their attention back toward the subjects.
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Layering images – Image of the week 10

ByPhilip Thomas

This weeks it’s all about layering! Stuck inside during COVID-19 lockdown, I thought I would have so much time to shoot mini-projects. But in reality, I’ve been busier juggling kids, online school, cooking, and everyday household chores; time is getting away from me. Plus, um, making those homemade Old Fashioned’s. Yum! Actually, no, I don’t…

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Spring, Texas Wedding – Home wedding – Ashley + Jacob

ByPhilip Thomas

Here we are precisely ten years later, after their first date, Ashley and Jacob tied the knot at a home wedding in Spring, Texas. Together they have experienced much together, including world travel, first jobs, and long term careers.I loved photographing their special day with just a few family members. It was quite extraordinary and…

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Image Of The Week 9 -Finding Reflections – Philip Thomas Photography

ByPhilip Thomas

This week’s picture of the week shows the reflection of the couple’s first dance through the Skyroom’s glass and downtown San Antonio’s. What’s great about editing images for a couple, like this week for Loran and Andrew, is coming across a picture I missed kinda the first time. Perhaps I didn’t’ recognize why I liked…

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Travis Park UMC + St Anthony Hotel Wedding Reception | Alison+Connor

ByPhilip Thomas

Alison and Connor’s wedding was magnificent! The ceremony was at Travis Park UMC and ballroom reception at St Anthony Hotel downtown San Antonio. The couples engagement session from last summer is here. There are so many great moments throughout their day for these high school sweethearts! Many thanks to Stacey DeWine, an event planner who was so…

San Antonio bride drinking gin on bus after tying the knot on a winter's day
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Image of the Week 8 – What is wedding photojournalism?

ByPhilip Thomas

I missed the last week with my postings due a crazy one of editing, but now I can get back to posting my thoughts about my work and why I think specific images work. Weddings are full of emotion. There’s excitement, tears, laughter. There’s highs, lows, and humor! All in one day. My work is…

ncarnate Word Chapel San Antonio Wedding getting ready winter wedding-Leica photographer-Philip Thomas Photography
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Chapel of the Incarnate Word Wedding | Rosenberg Skyroom UIW | Loran + Andrew

ByPhilip Thomas

Ceremony: Chapel of the Incarnate WordReception: Rosenberg Skyroom at UIWWedding Planner: Sweet August Events – Janell and KatherineCatering: Jerusalem CateringCake: Cakes by CathyPhotobooth: Artemis PhotoboothHair + Makeup: Mistique Makeup – SuzieEntertainment: DJ DaquariRentals: Illusions RentalsTransportation: Elegant LimoPhotographer: Philip ThomasLoran and Andrew’s engagement session

Photographing kids at weddings - Little girl at wedding reception breathes smoked ice at a bar station at Bridal Oaks Weddings and Events Houston Texas
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Image of the week 7 – Kids at weddings and shenanigans – Philip Thomas

ByPhilip Thomas

This photo is one of my favorites, and features in a year-end blog post. Working with kids at weddings is fun, but the last thing I want is for them to be aware of my camera. Of course, this is often impossible, and once noticed, I’ll spin the other way, pretending to photograph something else,…

Bride gets ready in reflection of a room mirror at La Cantera Resort San Antonio Wedding Photography Philip Thomas
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Image Of The Week 6 – Working with shapes in photography

ByPhilip Thomas

Here’s an image captured a few years ago for Alex and Kristina. As the bride dressed, I noticed these beautiful photographs of cowboys riding horses and couldn’t help myself using the shapes to frame her in the reflection. In this instance, the composition works. Weddings are very fluid, and if a composed scene doesn’t, I move…

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Image Of The Week 5 – ‘What do we have here?’ Henri Cartier-Bresson

ByPhilip Thomas

Today’s Thursday, which means it’s time for a picture of the week. I try to give myself a couple of weeks before blogging a wedding to desensitize from the wedding day. As a photographer, you can not help carry the emotion with you on and after a shoot, and it’s easy to let emotion interfere with…

An interesting juxtaposition as the wedded couple practice first dance and chairs are pushed out of the ceremony to the reception ballroom
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Image of the week 3 – Juxtapositions

ByPhilip Thomas

I love winter weddings for their low light. Thankfully, here in south Texas, we have a few weeks of cold weather, sometimes we will get ice and every ten years, maybe some snow. Nevertheless, many weddings are inside at this time of the year, which forces me to push harder to find exciting juxtapositions and…

Couple Debra and Ryan on hotel balcony at Westin Riverwalk Hotel Jewish Wedding Ceremony Reception San Antonio Texas-Philip Thomas Photography
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Westin Riverwalk Hotel | Wedding + Reception | Debra + Ryan

ByPhilip Thomas

Debra and Ryan met in high school, became friends, started dating at UT, and have been together ever since. So, here we are, over ten years after their first date celebrating their wild and magnificent celebration at the Westin Riverwalk Hotel, San Antonio, Texas. We start the post with their rehearsal welcome dinner at The…

Wedding photojournalism - Father of the brides gets emotional The JW Marriott Downtown Houston bride and groom get ready -Philip Thomas Photography
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Image of the week 2 – what is wedding photojournalism?

ByPhilip Thomas

This week’s picture of the week features the father of the bride as he sees his daughter for the first time in her wedding dress. Captured at the JW in Houston, I live for moments like these. For more on my thoughts about wedding photojournalism or reportage go here. Weddings are, of course, highly charged…

Joyous reaction as bride is surrounded by family and friends
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Image of the week 1 – The wonderful world of the Leica Rangefinder

ByPhilip Thomas

First, I’d like to write a very Happy New Year to all my readers of this blog. Today’s the day, 15 years ago, I arrived in the U.S.A to join my wife and live in San Antonio, Texas. So, in celebration of that and new for 2020, I’ll be posting a favorite image each week…

Beautiful engaged couple Arsenal Bridge over the San Antonio river kiss
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Arsenal Bridge San Antonio | Engagement Session | Andrea + Michael

ByPhilip Thomas

Michael popped the question to Andrea on Arsenal Bridge in San Antonio, so we returned there for their engagement session. The bridge built 90 years ago is impressive and crosses the San Antonio River, just south of downtown in the beautiful King William District, known for its ornate 19th-century mansions. This session was fun! Andrea…

The annual San Antonio Weddings Magazine 2020 Cover Contest is now LIVE!
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I need your vote! | San Antonio Weddings Magazine 2020 Cover Contest

ByPhilip Thomas

I need your help! Please share this post. The annual San Antonio Weddings Magazine 2020 Cover Contest is now LIVE! Visit www.sanantonioweddings.com/photoshootout Please help win this for two of my couple, Leslie + Brandt and Kelsey + Dan.Remember that you can vote daily so be sure to vote once a day until Sunday, January 19th!