What I’m Up To
I'm so excited about heading to Asheville, NC on Sunday to attend a photography workshop with Corey McNabb. For a week, I'll be learning new photography techniques, new ways to streamline the editing process (which I'm really psyched about since I'm currently running about two weeks behind -- yikes), how to better promote Sweet Life Photography...just generally immersing myself in all things photographic. We'll be focusing on wedding photography and will have three live shoots, including shooting a bride and groom at the Biltmore House. I can't wait! The only down side is that I'll miss Halloween with my kids -- the first time I've ever missed a holiday with them. Thankfully, my mom will be coming to Raleigh for several days to hold down the fort while Frank is on the road. Nana is also pretty fierce with a camera, so I'll be entrusting her to capture some cute Halloween pics to post when I get back.
I had to submit a new headshot for the seminar...always a painful endeavor. I have such sympathy for my clients because I hate having my picture taken. I hope I am able to make the experience more enjoyable for you guys! Anyway, here's what Frank took and I came up with after some re-touching (you better believe I re-touch my own pics). I can't decide if it's Botox or Weight Watchers I'm most in need of...probably both!
Mariah and Robert’s E-Session
I really had a great time with Mariah and Robert during their engagement session. Mariah loves photography and is so enthusiastic. Because I've done so many engagement sessions lately, I've been looking for ways to make them unique for each couple. I went out to the gardens on Friday before our shoot on Saturday and walked the whole place, looking for new spots to use for photos. Then I drove around Durham -- not an easy thing for me when I know so little of this part of the Triangle and gave up the Honda with the navigation system to Frank. I did manage to find some urban locations that I thought would work well in pictures. We spent half of the shoot at Duke Gardens. I'm been amazed lately that there are any green plants left in Duke Gardens because everything's been so dry. After finishing up there, we drove over to the Durham Food Co-Op and Grocery to use the awesome mural painted on the outside of the building as a cool backdrop. There was an abandoned restaurant across the street with a wild paint job, so of course, we had to use that too. Mariah and Robert were such fun to work with. I'm really looking forward to their wedding on November 10, so check back soon for their wedding slideshow! Click here to see their engagement show.
Molly Anne and John
I'm so excited to post Molly Anne and John's wedding to the blog, yet I struggle to find the words to describe what a joyful celebration their wedding was and what an awesome group of people I got to work with. Molly Anne found me through my friend, photographer Regina Holder. We hit it off during a long phone call back in July when we discovered lots in common thanks to our families' history in the ministry. I was thrilled when Molly Anne and John chose Sweet Life Photography to do their wedding. The couple, both ministers, got married in Candler, NC in the Blue Ridge
mountains on a
lovely Fall evening in September.
Molly Anne and John agreed to see each other before the wedding for couple photos so that they could get to their reception faster. Plus, the beautiful natural surroundings at the Biltmore Lake Club provided an opportunity for outdoor shots that was just too good to pass up. Molly Anne looked so beautiful in her gown and her vintage headpiece and veil, worn by her mother at her own wedding. The wedding colors were a gorgeous combination of ecru, navy and purple. I loved the purple orchids in the bride's bouquet.
I have so many favorite moments from this wedding: the rehearsal dinner in a gorgeous home on the side of a mountain; the morning spent hanging out with Molly Anne and her bridesmaids in the spa-like atmosphere of Asheville Cottages (the bride hired a masseuse and a nail tech to pamper her bridesmaids); listening to the beautiful music performed by the choir during the ceremony; seeing the cutie-patootie ring-bearer do his job well and perform a little celebration dance afterward; experimenting with low-light photography techniques at the outdoor evening reception and capturing the couple's exuberant departure. Molly Anne and John, thanks for letting me be a part of such a fantastic celebration! It was an experience for which I will always be grateful.
Click here to see the slideshow.
Kristen and Austin’s Engagement Session
Kristen and Austin dated briefly in high school, but it wasn't until a few years later that they re-connected and began dating again. Kristen says Austin was a "bad boy" in high school -- either she has reformed him or time has, because he was such a good sport about being dragged all over Washington, NC for the couple's engagement session. I drove down to the eastern North Carolina town for an early-morning engagement shoot on September 29. Washington is a beautiful little town on the Pamlico River. Austin proposed to Kristen in a boat out on the river, so it was a natural place to do their engagement session. We planned to meet at 8:00 a.m. at the city's riverfront, but when I checked out the light the day before, it was really bright -- the sun was really blasting the area, making it likely that the couple wouldn't be able to look at my camera without serious squinting. Even moving our start time to 7:30 didn't help much, so we found ourselves forced to use several locations away from the river, but I thought their photos turned out great. I especially love the shots of the couple against the old blue and white flower shop advertisement painted on the building and I love the shot of the two of them checking out wedding cakes in the window of the bakery! We used the beautiful red doors of the local Episcopal church as a backdrop too before heading over to Chocowinity to my sister-in-law's place on the river for a few final shots. I love working with this couple because they are so enthusiastic. I'm really looking forward to Kristen's bridal portrait and their wedding in April! Click here to see their slide show.
Ashley and Matt’s Engagement Session
I met up with Ashley and Matt on a cool Sunday morning at Duke Gardens for their engagement session. The couple enjoy going on picnics together, so we decided to work that into our shoot. They brought a blanket and wine from Hinnant Family Vineyards, a local winery in Pine Level, NC where they will hold their reception; I supplied the sunflowers and strawberries. (You may notice Matt's holding a bottle of Tar Heel Red in the slideshow, yet it's obvious they're not drinking red wine. We decided to substitute apple juice due to the garden's strict policy against open alcohol containers on the grounds. Plus, tipsy couples are hard to photograph and tend to wander off!)
Ashley's engagement ring is so gorgeous, I really wanted to try to capture it in a unique way. A lot of love and care (not to mention that whole "two months' salary" thing) goes into selecting just the right ring and I think it deserves to be shown off in a cool way. The bowl of strawberries and the single sunflower became natural props for highlighting the ring Matt gave to Ashley.
A little web surfing led me to this factoid about the history of engagement rings in America: in Colonial times, any kind of jewelery was prohibited because of its apparent moral worthlessness. Instead, a more practical thimble was given as a token of love and devotion. Most women, however, after they were married, removed the bottom of their "engagement thimble" to form a type of ring. Even when it's outlawed, we ladies do love our bling. (An engagement thimble...can you imagine showing that off to your girlfriends??)
Here's what Ashley's mom wrote in a sweet email about the photographs:
"The engagement photos are ABSOLUTELY AWESOME - I can hardly wait to see the photos from the wedding and that is still 3 weeks away!! You really were able to capture their love for each other and to show their emotions instead of just having a picture. You created a situation where they were having fun instead of just doing a stiff photo shoot. We are blessed to have you doing her wedding. It means a lot to me to see her "absolutely beaming" during such an important event such as her engagement and wedding. Thank you."
Matt and Ashley are getting married on October 27th, so check back in November for their wedding slide show. In the meantime, they've graciously allowed me to post their engagement slide show here.
Elizabeth and Paul
I was lucky to be a second shooter for my favorite photographer Regina Holder at the wedding of Elizabeth and Paul, who were married September 22 at The Yellow House, a gorgeous bed and breakfast in Waynesville, NC. Regina sent me to photograph Paul, his brother Chris and close friend and neighbor Todd as they got ready for the wedding. Let me say there's just nothing like walking into a room full of guys you've never met before and photographing them as they're getting dressed. I did ask that they tell me to step outside whenever pants had to come off and thankfully, they obliged. Shooting the guys is not something I do all that often because I usually have Frank with me to take care of recording that part of the wedding day. I was definitely out of my comfort zone, but sometimes that's just where you need to be as a photographer. I guess the highlight of the day for me came when I climbed up on a low garden table to get a better angle on Paul, who happens to be quite tall even when sitting, and went right through the table. Like a cat, I landed on my feet, saving my camera and what little was left of my dignity.
It was an absolutely beautiful wedding. Since Elizabeth is Greek, the ceremony incorporated many elements of a traditional Greek wedding. Elizabeth and Paul were "crowned" with matching white circlets connected by a ribbon to symbolize their unity as husband and wife. Paul placed Elizabeth's ring on her right hand in the European tradition. I hadn't realized that the US is in the minority when it comes to what finger we wear our wedding rings on.
I grabbed this shot of Elizabeth and Paul at the conclusion of their first dance. I really love the joy and excitement on their faces. Click here to see more images from the wedding.
False Lashes, Positive Results
From my friend, photographer extraordinaire Regina Holder comes this tip for brides: use false eyelashes to add amazing definition to your eyes for photographs. I've always believed that well-groomed brows, a complexion evened-out by a little foundation and beautiful lips were absolutely necessary for a gorgeous bridal portrait and just general wedding-day prettiness, but the eyelash thing never occurred to me. They're not too expensive and with a little practice, easy to apply. Give them a try!
