A Frolic in the Pasture - Kristina and Steve's Engagement Session

We scheduled the engagement shoot on a Sunday, even though the weather report called for 60% chance of rain. Kristina and Steve had secured permission for us to photograph on a private residence in Newnan, Ga. But on Saturday the rain came and went leaving Sunday full of sunny skys mottled with white fluffy clouds. Before leaving the house, I noticed the wind blowing as if to say, "Take the kite." Not ignoring a strong notion like that, I placed the kite in the car. Lisa thought it was a great idea also.

We arrived amazed at the beautiful lake home lined with azaleas sloping down to the lake. A quick survey revealed a gazeboo covered dock, a swing by the lake, many stone walking trails, and a covered bridge. And to the left of the drive lay a rolling pasture complete with cattle!

The only question in our minds was where to begin. To break the ice, we started with the walking trails followed by the bridge. In minutes, they grasped our style of photographing and we connected.
















We used many of the areas around the lake and still I could not take my eyes off of the rollling pasture and the white clouds diffusing the sunlight. I looked at Lisa and said, "Kite!" Lisa then asked what they thought about flying a kite in the field. Steve was all over that suggestion and Kristina said, "Okay, but I didn't think I was going to frolic around the pasture in my new sandals!"

The kite has been a lot of fun with Riley and me in the park and now I realize that you don't have to be the one who is flying the kite to enjoy the fun. In fact, I found that it was even more fun photographing this loving couple and watching them laugh flying the kite.

We just had to get them walking in the field. I guess this stems from my childhood and playing in our cowpasture in the Carolinas. There is just something about the simplicity of nature.

We finished in the back area of the home with the two of them relaxing on a swing by the pool. This is one of the times when we could have shot for hours more. The property just lends itself to photos. Kristina and Steve were so relaxed and playful. And we could not have asked for better weather. With their wedding in a few weeks, we can't wait to continue this session! Thanks Kristina and Steve for a wonderful day at the office!
Randy

Congratulations Molly & Rial!

Fortson 4-H Center, located near the Atlanta Motor Speedway, was the setting for this week's wedding with Molly and Rial. I love an outdoor ceremony and the weather couldn't have been more pleasant.
























I had met with Molly's mom, Susie, a month ago to go over the plans at the Fortson Center. It was very chilly then and long before the trees had begun to blossom. So when we arrived on Friday for the rehearsal, we were amazed at the scenic beauty. We were also impressed at the plans that they all had made for this glorious occasion.





























One of Molly's photo requests was a shot of her dress hanging from a tree near the lake. All decided that the best time for this was just before she got dressed. Then it hit me and I felt something that I have never felt while shooting a wedding - anxiety. Let's see, a wedding dress that has never been worn, hanging from a tree, just three feet from the lake. Not to mention all of the yellow pollen blowing around. But Lisa brought the dress and I found a ladder and hung it on the sturdy limb. And then the wind began blowing! I quickly shot numerous frames and I was ready to take it down when Lisa said "Okay, now turn it around." Lisa was so calm as she composed and photographed.

























And the results from Lisa's creative mind.
























When the dress was back in the dressing room, I returned to my calm state and enjoying the wonderful job that I love! I would not have taken the risk of damaging the dress had it not been for Lisa's expertise.



From there the day flowed really well. We heard the great plans that had been made at the rehearsal and all involved seemed really relaxed. My kind of wedding!




The guests were seated under the shade of the trees, facing the serene lakeside ceremony.


















Molly and Rial performed a religious foot washing ceremony which we had never photographed at a wedding.


















At the rehearsal I could not discern if they were going to put their shoes back on at the end of the vows. So just in case, I knelt in the back with the low angle and I was rewarded with this shot.


















The Fortson 4-H Center offers many places to shoot. Molly and Rial were very accommodating as we moved around the grounds.

The reception was a held in the covered area adjacent to the lake as well as the dancing area.

As the night closed there was no big send off, just goodbye kisses and waves. But one thing I really liked was when Rial was thanking us and asked me in all sincerity, "Did you have fun, Randy?" I said, "Yes Rial, I did. I had lots of fun!" Thanks for choosing us to photograph your day and may God bless you both.

Randy

The Galloway School in Atlanta

The Galloway School is situated in the Chastain Park area of Atlanta. This week, Lisa and I were once again contracted to photograph the annual Grandparents and Special Friends Day.















Our assignment was to photograph the children with their grandparents or special friends in a semi-formal fashion. The reading room's red walls took some adjustment with the camera's white balance. My first test on Lisa with the auto white balance function proved to be way off, giving her purple facial features...AAAAHHHH!!!!


After adjusting the settings with a grey card and several more tests shots of Lisa, we were ready to go with 20 minutes to spare before our first group arrived. Our organization on last year's shoot drew high praise from the staff and we knew what we had to do to stay on top of photographing all of the children.

For this shoot, we selected a two light system with our camera tethered to our laptop. Lisa would record the child's name and I would arrange the child with their guest(s) and take the photograph. The images would then appear on the the laptop where Lisa would rename the images to correlate with the grouping.






















We have learned to get to know our equipment inside and out. There won't be any time once the shooting begins. We actually did a full test in our living room the day before to get the bugs out of the system.

We also give distinct instructions on how to pose. The gaffer's tape on the floor quickly brought them to the camera center as well as our learned "people" skills to get the best looking smiles in a brisk fashion. We take 2-3 shots of each group for the ones who may blink without us seeing it.

And sometimes we let them break the pose to have that special moment together.






















We were scheduled to photograph a group every thirty minutes but we only needed ten minutes or so for each group. I looked at Lisa with a smile and asked, "That's it?" We are a good team and I still think I had the easy part today! One person couldn't have finished in the allotted time in my opinion.

We met a lot of wonderful people including a WWII "Bronze Star" war veteran that I could have chatted with all afternoon. Lots of proud families full of smiles...it was a great day indeed! We can't wait for next year!

Randy