Monthly archives "October 2006"

The Jim Sabol Group

Tony

October 17, 2006

As Keller-Williams agents, the Jim Sabol Group came to us for an update in their “look” in new magazine ads they were considering for a new marketing campaign.

Getting the right look is sometimes the difference between a glance and a notice when it comes to magazine advertising.

When Suzanne visited the studio just a week before her wedding, she promised me that the reception would be one to remember. She was right… and I will also remember the ceremony, the visit to her house nearby, and even the trip over to the reception site.

When I arrived at her house, Suzanne wasn’t quite ready yet. But the two flower girls were happy to come down and play in the living room. Once the bride was ready, we took a few photos in the house, then moved outside for a few more. Suzanne was a little nervous, and was having a few tummy issues, but nothing that couldn’t be overcome with a little laughter and a nice back rub by one of her bridesmaids.

The funny thing was her insistence on having photos taken with one of the custom trucks that a family member does. I ended up getting her and the bridesmaids in front of one of them.

Arriving at the church gave me an opportunity to go between the lower floor where the bride was waiting and he church itself where the light was absolutely incredible. Since I was also using new equipment, I was being cautious about how things were going to go with capturing what I saw. At one point, when I first walked into the sanctuary, I saw a great beam of light striking the high altar. It took my breath away at first, but quickly taking camera in hand, I was even more in awe of the image I’d captured.

The ceremony which followed started off in a kind of awe of itself. After the usual procession of bridesmaids and flower girls, the bride rounded the corner with her mother and looked up into the sanctuary. I heard her take a deep gasp, trying to take in all the emotion of the moment. Forcing a smile on her face, she headed down the aisle toward Jeff.

The minister was very open and kept things light during the service. At one point, he even brought out a bit of laughter.

I was fortunate enough to learn this new church quickly, one I’d never photographed in before. One incredible feature was a “back hallway” behind the altar which permitted me to move from one side of the altar to the other without disrupting the service. I never used it, but my position near the groom’s side of the altar gave me an incredible view of what the ray of light had done at the altar.

Following the service, several people were comparing rings, including the wedding bands of the groom’s father and the groom. What ensued was a comparison of rings in general.

Getting outside after the ceremony was over and the guests were over at the reception site meant getting some great photos out near the bridge that lead up to the church. Here’s one of our favorites from the stream that flows under the bridge.

Once we finally arrived at the much awaited reception, I saw what they meant by a reception to remember. During introductions, each of the guests had a streamer popper. When the bride and groom came in, these poppers were going off all over the house.

The remainder of the night included lots of dancing, meeting of old friends and family, and plenty of special moments.

We want to wish Suzanne and Jeff a wonderful marriage. Based on what I saw, they’ll be together for a very long time.

The Maryland Renaissance Festival

Tony

October 8, 2006

For each of the past three years, we have ventured to Crownsville Maryland (just south of Annapolis) to the annual Renaissance Festival held in late summer and early fall there.

What we enjoy the most is just about everything. Many people go in costume, as we did for the first time this year, there is lots of entertainment (mostly magic and comedy shows), a theme which involves the monarchy of that period, and street actors who provide an enjoyable distraction for the kids (of all ages).

We went in costume this year, Diana as a bar wench (complete with long brown hair), and me as a bar man (with my mug for ale and other beverages). We had fun doing so, since Tara (the younger daughter) and her boyfriend Jake went along as well. Tara went in a vampy little outfit, and Jake as more of a demonic character, which suits his personality. 🙂

We saw a few of the shows, shopped in the shops (there are a LOT of vendors, and most stay true to the theme of the fair), and even watched the jousting competition. To be honest, it was a little more tame than those you may have seen in movies (such as “A Knight’s Tale”). But we had fun the whole time and left a little early to hopefully beat traffic.

That wasn’t to be the case, however. We started to leave at 5:45, and didn’t leave the parking lot until 8:20pm. I’ve never seen so much disarray and lack of coordination with traffic and parking control. But we made the best of the time, talking, making fun of the costumes and generally passing the time with whatever we could.

Despite the parking and traffic problems, I strongly recommend this festival to anyone. You can read more about this event at www.rennfest.com. Maybe we’ll see you there next year!

Heather and Rusty

Tony

October 7, 2006

So Heather had only contacted us a month or so before her wedding, and seemed quite anxious and emphatic about having photos for her wedding. An easy-going bride, it didn’t seem like much of anything rattled her, and that proved to come in handy on her wedding day.

Heather has two children, a boy and a girl, who were in the wedding. Her son was the ring bearer and her daughter the flower girl. Both children seemed to understand that this was a special day, but like all children they got bored very quickly and didn’t want to keep being pretty and proper. 🙂

Heather ran late getting to the church for her 12:00 ceremony. We later learned that the reason was that there was some confusion with her reception site (Clarion Inn in Shepherdstown) and things had to be quickly rearranged to accommodate the reception, DJ and cake table.

One thing I love about weddings is flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. And this wedding was filled with roses. I love roses especially because the fragrance is so alluring and the petals are so soft. I’m sounding more manly all the time, eh? 😉

So the ceremony got a late start, but nobody seemed to care. We’ve long told brides that it doesn’t matter if they are running late – everything waits for them. She took that well in stride and walked proudly down the aisle with BOTH her parents to her waiting groom.

Once at the reception, things went smoothly. The DJ kept things going and dinner was served on time. The staff at the Clarion was, as usual, very helpful.

We want to wish Heather and Rusty a long and happy marriage.

Susan

Tony

October 6, 2006

Susan came to us for some image photos. As a nationally-recognized mediator and company event organizer, Susan needed professional images for differing levels of her business clients.

After we were done, Susan’s husband joined us for the viewing of the images. While somewhat helpful, he spent a great deal of the time explaining his theories in life and why he doesn’t have photos taken.

Matt Matt

Tony

October 5, 2006

When Francine called us to take pictures of her dog, we were delighted. We love taking pet photos, and most animals are very cooperative.

Francine told us that Matt Matt was ill, and that he was huge. He was not just huge, but also beautiful, friendly and adorable. We took quite a few photos from different angles, but he was uncomfortable due to leg problems and wouldn’t relax the way she’d hoped.

We got a few nice images, though.