Pregnancy Portraits... Something New

I had an opportunity to do some pregnancy / maternity portraits and we had a lot of fun with the session.  I enjoyed editing these images too.  I am sure I will be doing more of these sessions.

A Family Wedding

My stepdaughter actually got married a few years ago, but she and her husband recently rededicated their lives to Christ and decided they also wanted to renew their wedding vows and have a real church wedding which was a few days ago.  I offered to take some pictures for them and we got several really good images from our short time together at the church.

Always Learning More about Wedding Photography

I am in constant study about photography whether it is lighting, post processing, technique, posing, etc. There is so much information in regard to photography. I was invited to attend a seminar with top wedding photographer Denis Reggie and had the opportunity to attend last night. It was a great seminar and I learned more about how to achieve a more natural light even with the use of flash. I already knew a little bit about the technique, but Denis filled in the gaps of information I didn't know before. The seminar was sponsored by Canon.... and I bet you can guess that I have added a few more lenses to my ever growing wish list. I think my favorite part about the seminar was the discussion about wedding photojournalism, finding the moments and documenting them without interference from the photographer. Also hearing that excessive "photoshopping" is not reality. Even though I know how to do a lot of that stuff, I tend to lean more towards reality in my photography.

New Wedding & Event Venue in Suwanee, GA

We participated in the Grand Opening Event at Fanti Events in Suwanee, GA yesterday. It's a really nice facility if you are planning a small to medium sized event. More pictures

Model Shoots

I have been scheduling a few model shoots to add to my portfolio and will add some of the shots here so you can check them out.

Atlanta Botanical Garden Wedding

I had the honor of documenting the wedding of Anthony & Rhonda on Saturday December 27, 2008 in the Japanese Garden at Atlanta Botanical Garden. We were blessed with 65 degree weather and the rain stopped long enough for us to have a dry afternoon in the garden. It was a very intimate wedding ceremony with only close family, most of whom traveled from very far away to attend. After the wedding we did several family group shots and then took a walk around the gardens to find some really beautiful backdrops. Gallery - Slideshow

What is your "Style" of Wedding Photography?

I felt like giggling when I read on a forum recently that someone was asked what their "style" was and I could tell that they had NO CLUE what that meant. For me it was funny because I know without a doubt what excites me and what does not, so I know MY "style" without even thinking. For example, I always thought the traditional wedding pictures were SO boring and I never really wanted anything to do with that kind of photography and wedding albums full of traditional posed photos definitely never did anything for me. Maybe that is why even though I have been married more than once, I have never wanted one of those photo albums.

I am going to change gears here on you for a few seconds because I feel like sharing some thoughts. When digital cameras first came out on the scene, I wasn't really sure what was going to happen to photography as I had always known it. I was up in the air about the whole thing. I loved taking pictures so the appeal of doing so without buying film, processing, etc. seemed attractive.........BUT I wasn't sure about the whole thing. I wasn't sure how this new format was going to impact the photography industry as a whole. I was worried about the camera shops and photo processing companies, I didn't know if they were going to stay in business. Anyway, because of all of this I wasn't sure what I wanted to do for quite some time. I did end of getting a digital camera, but I didn't get the digital version of my film cameras at that time. What I did is just get whatever I thought would suit my casual photography needs and still use my film cameras for anything requiring a "real camera". Wouldn't you know it, I just sort of got tired of carrying BAGS of camera gear and it was that much easier to take pictures with my new digital cameras. I have had several over the past 11 years. I also found that I very rarely was getting out my film cameras. One thing that changed my mind is that about a year ago I picked up a digital SLR camera and played with it taking a few test shots. I could tell right away the huge difference in image quality compared to the digital cameras I had been using. So I filed this information away in my brain that I would eventually invest in a DSLR camera when I wanted something that wouldn't fit in my pocket or purse. So I bet your are guessing that I finally came around to getting serious, right? Sure enough one day I woke up inspired with all kinds of ideas about starting my own photography business which is a lifelong dream I have been having for a LONG time. I just wasn't ready for it until now. Once I started really thinking about things and the fact that I am already in the wedding business, I knew that it was going to be that much easier for me to stick with something that I know a LOT about and that is weddings.

Okay, back to "style".... So as I started looking at recent wedding photos, I was noticing some major shifts in style. Matter of fact some friends of ours had a daughter that got married recently. I was unable to attend the wedding so I was very excited to see the pictures from the wedding. The images I saw from the wedding really inspired me in a way I can't describe. It was just so fresh and the images were stunning. As I ventured around on the internet I realized that sure enough the new modern styles of wedding photography were way more up my alley. So as I have done some studying I have learned that what I prefer is classified as portrait journalism or photojournalism, which in reality is a blend of photojournalism, a touch of traditional portraiture, and leans more on the creative, artistic side. I totally LOVE the creativity of the "Trash the Dress" sessions I have seen photos from, so this is something I will be offering in my packages. I also really love the idea of the engagement sessions and plan to do this with all of my couples. See since I am from the "old school" of look at the camera and smile and get that catchlight in the eyes, this is a major shift from portraiture, etc. but I absolutely love it.

I also started checking into what people are doing and what the vendors and manufacturers are offering for wedding photography. I can't tell you how pleased I am with the idea of wedding photo books, coffee table books, canvas gallery wraps, DVD slideshows, etc. I am just so excited about the possibilities of what I can offer people. I have definitely done my homework and I have come up with what I feel are the best offerings available.

I am going to be doing some portfolio building specials soI can build up my wedding portfolio galleries. If you are a bride and you are reading this, all you have to do is ask me what the special offer I am running is and mention you read it on my blog, simple enough?

And if you happen to be reading this and are a photographer that would be interested in having me second shoot or assist you, please do get in touch with me as I am looking to really get out there in any way possible so long as I might be able to shoot and get some images for my portfolio.

I do have my very first wedding coming up later this month so I am sure there will be more to come very soon. We will be at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens for a quaint wedding. I feel I have already hit it off with the bride just by talking on the phone so far. She shares my vision of what I want to do and knows this will be the first, it seems that we are all getting excited about it. Thanks for reading and sure enough, I will have way more to say really soon.