Business is Good!

We have been blessed over the past few weeks. Four weddings, several engagement sessions, and several portrait sessions. Also we photographed the Vacation Bible School at our church.

We have met and worked with some wonderful people. Every wedding is different and every portrait session special.

The next few weeks are looking good also and we are thankful. Hopefully, I can post some of the images here to share.

Summer is here!
Randy

Congratulations, Frances & Tony!

The Ritz-Carlton, Reynolds Plantation on Lake Oconee was the beautiful setting for Frances and Tony's wedding on the lawn. We have been dreaming of this one for months now and it was better than we had expected. Sarah and her staff did an excellent job making it all work despite the week long rain forecast. Fortunately, all of the rain passed to the north of us leaving the nice clouds and sunshine.

Frances was such a lovely bride with her radiant smile. It was hard to catch her without her smile. Tony was smiling also since the rehearsal on Friday...we knew this was going to be fun!

The manicured lawn and courtyard of the resort set a beautiful stage for the ceremony.

Lisa has taught me that some of the most joyful photographs are just after the ceremony. A sigh of relief and excitement saying "We did it!" is captured.

Several meetings with Frances let us know that they loved being photographed as much as we love taking the photographs. We had visited the resort in February and had discussed many ideas with Frances for the newlywed photographs.

In the courtyard the guests enjoyed the reception dinner and dancing.

With a sparkler send off, their new life as husband and wife begins.

Congratulations, Frances and Tony! And thank you for allowing us to be a part of your family!Randy

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

Keeping the Sharp Edge

If you follow the professional athletes, you would see all of the hours of practice they dedicate to their sport. Golfers hit hundreds of balls a day. Baseball players are constantly in the batting cages. Swimmers, runners, drivers, and all athletes alike, know that to be on top of their game they have to practice and practice.

The same is true with photographers. The winter months can make us a bit rusty. The reflexes are dampened. And the adjustments of the camera controls require some thought instead of the normal second-nature response. But alas it is Spring!

Like the professional golfers who head for the putting greens after a round of golf, I try to keep the cameras clicking. Using different lenses, different flashes, and maybe different exposure settings, I work on keeping the sharp edge. I am always studing the works of other photographers that I admire and I take inspiration from them. I also like to scout some venues of upcoming weddings and begin planning the event. I drive the countryside when I can to see possible photography locations.

My daughter is great for the practice. Full of energy and full of life, she can be a challenge to follow with a camera. All too often Riley will hear me say, "I have an idea for a photo, let's go to the park!"

I even tagged along on Riley's Easter Egg Hunt this week to practice with the Nikon 300mm 2.8 lens and monopod. The lens is my favorite for baseball, NASCAR, football, and soccer. It is true that the larger the lens takes a bit of practice to get dialed in. On our cameras the lens shoots like a 430mm lens due to the sensor cropping.

I have been taking pictures for over 40 years. I have never grown tired of the craft and I don't think that I ever will. It is my passion. There is always something new and always room for improvement. But it does take practice and practice to keep sharp edge.

Randy

Where the Yellow Flowers Grow

All photographers have a special place where they love to take photographs. A place where they can enjoy just being outside and taking pictures becomes a reflex. After one of the coldest winters we've had in a while, today was the day to go our family's special place. A place with a lake, ducks, a petting zoo, and a large field where the yellow flowers grow.

We first brought our daughter, Riley, here at the age of nine months. We were ready to leave when I saw the field. Lisa saw it, too, and placed Riley in the middle of the flowers and we recorded this image that makes me smile whenever I see it. Riley likes it also.

As I drove there today, we saw the flowers and just had to try it one more time. Two years later than the first visit, but still sporting the same sunglasses. The smile just comes natural whenever she is near flowers. Who says you can never go back there again?



















Lisa got her to run around like little children love to do. What a great family day and the photographs will let us relive it again. Perhap this will be a tradition or a rite of passage for the spring. Are you capturing the moments in your life?






















We have been busy this week. On Sunday, Lisa and I had a booth at the Georgia Bridal Show at the Cobb Gallera Centre where over 400 brides ventured by. We enjoyed meeting and listening to their wedding plans.

Early Monday found me on the road to Charlotte, N. C. to the Joe Gibbs Racing garage for a photoshoot with Max Gresham. Max will be piloting the number 18 car for Gibbs in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. Gresham's P.R. man, John Close, was a big help as well as the Gibbs staff. Max is always fun to work with. I really enjoyed the session and the challenges it brought. I detoured on the return trip to have dinner with my sister and her husband. I also visited with my mom, brother, and my other sister. Yes, I am a Carolina boy who joined the boy scouts only for the free trips to the Darlington NASCAR races.

The warm afternoons bring many engagement sessions and portraits in the upcoming weeks. We welcome the spring time!

Randy