Après Events

We had the joy of partnering up with Karissa at Après Events before Christmas to photograph the various characters of the Animal Adoption Center. With the spirit of the holidays as her inspiration the dogs and cats got to play with various props for this shoot.

Karissa’s natural ease and talent was able to portray each animals unique personality through her lens. Besides having fun throughout the shoot, Karissa was able to capture these spunky and fun characters with each photograph she took.

We at Lens and Leash want to thank Karissa for donating her time and talent to helping these furry babies find their forever homes.

Lens And Leash: What is the name of your company and the services you provide?

Après Events: Après Events. We offer cinematography, videography and photography for wedding and events.

Lens And Leash: When did you get started?

Après Events: 2012 was Après Events first wedding here in Jackson.

Lens And Leash: What was your goal when you started the company?

Après Events: I have always loved capturing families and big events, important events. For me it is so important that you capture celebrations because there are so many tragedies in life. I feel like it is important to capture celebrations and make a big to do about the event. With video it is a way of capturing an important moment to re-live for the rest of your life.

Lens And Leash: How many people work for your company and how do you choose who becomes apart of your team?

Après Events: The core team is just Amon Barker and myself. We hire freelancers throughout the summer. We actually just work with two different freelancers right now. Aharon Brahm and Scott Sutton. They have been working with us for two years now and they are trained up to the point we know that when they go to a wedding with us they know the exact style we want and the look we are going for as well as they help with the editing process and edit to that look. There is no way you can video a wedding by yourself and I think that is something that people don’t always understand.  Generally we try to shoot our weddings with three people, one person directing everything, one person focused on documentation and audio and one person focused on those high cinematic moments. What I really love is when we get to do both photo and video for a wedding. I focus on the photography part and will have an assistant helping me and Amon Barker leads the video team. It’s nice because we collaborate well together. We love working with other photographers from other regions but especially here in Jackson. It’s always fun to collaborate with other creatives and see their style while working together.

Lens And Leash: What do you want to convey to potential clients?

Après Events: We’re striving to capture the highest production value. There are different styles in cinematography and photography, and we really are striving to capture very high production value, a very classic look. Nothing really cliche about it. Something that we think our clients will love, 20, 30 years from now. Very classic and very elegant. More of a film like light and airy type look. We’re not doing anything dramatic with our coloring for video or photo. It’s fun to do both video and photo for a wedding, because we try to match the looks. It’s so important to work with a team that is experienced and who is really passionate about capturing the wedding really well. I think a lot of people are in wedding photography and videography to make money. It’s easy to get better quality camera these days, and call yourself a photographer or videographer. Unless you’re really passionate about weddings and about capturing and telling a story, you might be let down. Just working with an experienced and passionate team. That’s what I try to convey.

Lens And Leash: What has been your favorite commercial project so far and why?

Après Events: My favorite commercial project with Après Visuals, my other video production company was — okay two. One was for Jeep and we got to capture a bunch of video and photography for the agency that does all the social media for Jeep. The client was here and the agency was here. Six people flew out and we got to show them all these little hidden spots around Jackson and drive really cool Jeeps. The other one has to be for the Four Seasons.They are a brand that really try to provide the highest customer service and value to their clients. I feel we’re on the same page with them. When we worked with them they wanted the highest production value possible and what we did for them, is create a fly fishing video. Basically show the experience you get when you go fly fishing with the Four Seasons. That was just a great project to be a part of.

Lens And Leash: Have any of the weddings you have shot so far stand out from all of the rest?

Après Events: Let’s see, I would just say I love working with all of our clients. Because, I feel like the clients we end up getting, really value video and high level video production. We really try to work with the types of clients we really mesh well with.

Lens And Leash: What has been your favorite location to work at so far?

Après Events: Well, it was exciting to get to go to Brush Creek Ranch, this last year, in Saratoga, Wyoming. It was this gorgeous, huge ranch. The bridesmaids and groomsmen were doing archery, shooting, fishing, and we got to ride in razors. We got to be a little bit a part of the experience as well, which is just as fun. Then of course my sisters in Sayulita, Mexico.

Lens And Leash: Where do you see your company in the next few years?

Après Events: Our goal is to really position ourselves as a high end photography and cinematography company. I want to be getting the clients that are coming in here that really value the production and cinematography. As well as, we have this whole winter season where we generally only work one to two winter weddings. We are trying to position ourselves right now to work more destination weddings, seeing us through the spring, winter and fall.

Lens And Leash: What gets you most excited about the company’s future?

Après Events: Traveling. I would love to travel more. And the fact that people today are starting to value more and more of what we do and that we are really creating art. We are not just going to document a video, or video a wedding. We are capturing the people that are closest to them in their lives and also just creating beautiful pieces of art.

Lens And Leash: What inspires you?

Après Events: I love looking at other artists. Locally for photography, Carrie Patterson is a huge inspiration to me. I think she does an incredible job and I love her work. In the cinematography world, I’m going to a workshop next week with Ray Roman, who’s a really high end cinematographer. Looking at other people who are truly creating art, really capturing a wedding. Just about the business itself, we’ve shot weddings where family members have died within the year after shooting the wedding. For me, just knowing that we are capturing really important people and these people’s lives and they have that little window to see that. That’s something for me that I’m actually inspired by doing this work.

Lens And Leash: What is your favorite camera?

Après Events: We use the Red Dragon Cinema Camera. It’s an incredible camera. It shoots raw for video, so none of the color is baked in. It also shoots 6k. It’s just an incredible camera. It captures such a beautiful image. It’s shockingly easier to use too. It’s heavy but it’s captures such a beautiful image, high frame rates of slow motion. It’s by far our favorite camera. Then I have to say the new DJI Inspired 2 that we have, which is a drone. Everybody including me gets all excited when they see the drone, aerial images or video, it’s probably my new favorite. For photography definitely the Contax 65, which is my leading format film camera. For me I’m a very high energy kind of always, “Go-go” type person. For me shooting film is really magical and that’s really changed who I am and how I shoot. It makes me slow down and really be in the moment and wait for the moment versus, “Click, click, click and just spraying images. Definitely the Contax 65.

Lens And Leash: What is the one thing you have to have on all of your shoots?

Après Events: I actually never work alone. I always have one of my trusted team members with me, a trusted assistant there is so empowering. It’s so nice to have somebody that knows exactly all the craziness behind the day and can keep me calm, cool and collected. It’s just nice to have one other friendly face with me at all times and of course snacks!

Lens And Leash: Do you have any tips for aspiring photographers?

Après Events: Oh, my goodness. Just keep shooting things that you’re passionate about and that you enjoy doing, because sometimes as you start to get paid for something that is your passion, it can start to feel like work. There’s always taking that time to shoot things that you love. Shooting for fun, keep shooting for fun.

Lens And Leash: Do you have any pets?

Après Events: I do. I have a black lab. His name is DJ, Doc Junior. He’s the best. He goes out on all of our adventures and I always if I have an another exposure on my film, I always shoot DJ. I have a lot of photos of him.

Lens And Leash: Have you ever gone to a animal shelter?

Après Events: Yes I have. My parents were Veterinarians and my mom was a Veterinary Technician, and my dad did all the pro bono surgeries for the animal shelter in Colorado Springs. This shelter would take all of the dogs from Missouri a puppy mill and my dad did 80% of their pro bono surgeries.

Lens And Leash: Have you ever adopted or fostered an animal?

Après Events: Pretty much my whole childhood we would have just a rotating door of animals to our house. Whatever dog was getting out of surgery or not doing so well, my dad would always bring home. We would always have a different animal at my house. Since I’ve been to Jackson I haven’t really looked into what we have here. I’ve heard how amazing our Animal Adoption Center is and it was exciting to see how easy it is to foster and adopt. I’m like, “Kelly, it is just like on your way home, bring home a dog. It would be so fun.” I’m excited to start getting more involved here in Jackson.

Lens And Leash: What is your favorite day of the week and what do you do on that day?

Après Events: My favorite day of the week is definitely Friday and Saturday. Anything outdoors. Just getting outdoors.

Lens And Leash: If you could choose one song to play every time you walked into a room for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Après Events: Shakira. Anything by Shakira, she’s my alter ego.

Après Events
960 Alpine Ln c, Jackson, WY 83001
(307) 200-1875
http://apresevents.com/

Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo